Cat Declawing Ban (Maryland)
SB 67/HB 22
Maryland has become the second U.S. state to ban declawing, a surgical procedure in which all or part of the last bone in a cat’s toes is amputated. Declawing can have lifelong medical implications and adversely affect behavior.
Declawing is a permanent, surgical procedure in which all or part of the last bone in a cat’s toes is amputated. It can have lifelong medical implications and stops a cat from exhibiting natural behaviors.
Banned in over 10 major cities and the state of New York, we can now add Maryland to the list. Gov. Larry Hogan signed SB 67/HB 22 into law — a major victory that will:
- prohibit a veterinary practitioner from performing certain declawing procedures on a cat unless the procedure is necessary for a therapeutic purpose;
- authorize the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to impose certain disciplinary actions on a veterinary practitioner for willful violations of the prohibition;
- specify that a violation of the act is a civil offense; and
- provide that a person who violates the law is subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
Numerous Animal Legal Defense Fund supporters contacted Gov. Hogan, urging him to sign this bill. It goes into effect on October 1, 2022.
To find more information about Maryland’s animal protection laws, visit aldf.org/maryland.
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