Pittsburgh City Council Passes Cat Declawing Ban

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pittsburgh City Council passed legislation that would ban declawing cats on Tuesday.

The legislation passed unanimously without discussion. Mayor Bill Peduto's office hasn't said if he intends on signing the law.

Veterinarians who perform the surgery used to declaw cats would face a $500 fine.

The legislation was introduced by City Councilman Bobby Wilson, who called the procedure "cruel and inhumane."

"The City of Pittsburgh should set an example as a humane city, both in southwest Pennsylvania and across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," said Wilson in a news release. "How we treat animals speaks to our deepest values. Declawing a cat does not just mean removing its nails. If this happened to a human, it would be like cutting off each finger and toe at the last knuckle."

Wilson says that if enacted, the legislation would make Pittsburgh the first government in the state to ban declawing.