This is the preview version of the Wisconsin State Legislature site.
Please see http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov for the production version.
LRB-5524/1
KP:skw
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
February 17, 2022 - Introduced by Senators Carpenter, Erpenbach and Smith,
cosponsored by Representatives Emerson, Shelton, Pope, Sinicki,
Snodgrass, Baldeh, Billings, Cabral-Guevara, Doyle, Riemer, Spreitzer
and Stubbs. Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Tourism.
SB1001,1,2 1An Act to create 89.067 of the statutes; relating to: prohibiting cat declawing
2procedures.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill prohibits persons, including veterinarians and veterinary technicians,
from performing a declawing procedure on a cat, except for a declawing procedure
performed for therapeutic purposes, as determined by a veterinarian. The bill
defines “declawing procedures” as onychectomies, partial or complete
phalangectomies, partial digital amputations, tendonectomies, or other procedures
to prevent the normal functioning of a cat's toes, claws, or paws.
Current law requires a person to have a license or permit from the Veterinary
Examining Board to practice veterinary medicine, and current law authorizes the
examining board to discipline veterinarians and veterinary technicians for violating
laws related to the practice of veterinary medicine.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB1001,1 3Section 1. 89.067 of the statutes is created to read:
SB1001,1,4 489.067 Cat declawing procedures prohibited. (1) In this section:
SB1001,2,35 (a) “Declawing procedure” means an onychectomy, partial or complete
6phalangectomy, partial digital amputation, tendonectomy, or other procedure to

1alter a cat's toes, claws, or paws to prevent the normal functioning of the cat's toes,
2claws, or paws. “Declawing procedure” does not include the trimming of nonviable
3claw husk or placing nonpermanent nail caps.
SB1001,2,64 (b) “Onychectomy” means a procedure in which a portion of the paw of a cat is
5amputated to remove or disable a claw, including, without limitation, procedures
6commonly referred to as declawing.
SB1001,2,87 (c) “Partial digital amputation” means a procedure for the excision of some or
8all of one or more of the phalanges of the paw of a cat.
SB1001,2,109 (d) “Phalangectomy” means a procedure for the excision of one or more of the
10phalanges of the paw of a cat.
SB1001,2,1211 (e) “Tendonectomy” means a procedure in which the tendons to the limbs, paws,
12or toes of a cat are cut or modified so that the cat's claws cannot function normally.
SB1001,2,1713 (f) “Therapeutic purpose” means addressing an existing or recurring infection,
14disease, injury, or abnormal condition in the claw of a cat that jeopardizes the cat's
15health and only when addressing that infection, disease, injury, or abnormal
16condition is a medical necessity. “Therapeutic purpose” does not include cosmetic or
17aesthetic purposes or making a cat more convenient to keep or handle.
SB1001,2,20 18(2) No person may remove or disable a cat's claws by performing a declawing
19procedure, except that a person may perform a declawing procedure solely for a
20therapeutic purpose, as determined by a veterinarian.
SB1001,2,2121 (End)
Loading...
Loading...