wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 1904 > Original Bill

HB 1904 - Declawing cats

Source

Section 1

  1. It is unlawful for any person engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine to perform a declawing procedure on a cat, unless necessary for a therapeutic purpose.

  2. A veterinarian who performs a declawing procedure on a cat shall keep a record of the procedure for a period of four years after the last contact with the cat. The record must be subject to audit by the board. The record must include the name and address of the cat's owner, the name and address of the person from whom payment is received for the procedure, and a description of the cat including, but not limited to:

    1. The cat's name, breed, date of birth, sex, color, markings, and current weight;

    2. The date and time of the procedure;

    3. The reason the procedure was performed; and

    4. Any diagnostic opinion, analysis, or test result to support the diagnosis.

  3. [Empty]

    1. Any person who performs a declawing procedure on a cat shall report the number of performed procedures to the board annually no later than March 30th each year. The board shall maintain all notices received under this subsection for four years from the date of receipt.

    2. Records maintained under this subsection may not be publicly disseminated and are not considered public records as defined in RCW 40.14.010.

  4. [Empty]

    1. Any person who performs a declawing procedure on a cat within the state of Washington in violation of this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than:

      1. $1,000 for a first offense;

      2. $1,500 for a second offense; and

      3. $2,500 for a third or subsequent offense.

    2. A veterinarian licensed under this chapter who violates any provision of this section may be subject to disciplinary action by the board.

  5. This section preempts any ordinance regulating the practice of declawing a cat enacted by a county, city, town, or other political subdivision of this state.

  6. For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

    1. "Cat" means any domesticated species of the family Felidae and does not include any wild or nonnative species of the family Felidae.

    2. [Empty]

      1. "Declawing procedure" means:

(A) An onychectomy, a dactylectomy, a phalangectomy, or any other procedure that removes a portion of the paw or digit of a cat in order to remove a claw;

(B) A tendonectomy or any other procedure that cuts or modifies the tendon of the limb, paw, or digit of a cat in order to prohibit the normal movement of a claw; or

(C) Any procedure that prevents the normal functioning of one or more claws of a cat.

    ii. "Declawing procedure" does not include nail filing, nail trimming, or the placement of temporary nail caps on one or more claws of a cat.

c. [Empty]

    i. "Therapeutic purpose" means any action intended to address as a matter of medical necessity an existing or recurring infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition in the claw, nail bed, or toe bone that jeopardizes the afflicted animal's health.

    ii. "Therapeutic purpose" does not include any action performed for cosmetic or aesthetic reasons or reasons of convenience in the keeping or handling of an animal.
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