Screenshot from one of the many declawing vet clinics in MN. Link-https://www.petcentralanimalhospital.com/surgery

PETITION: Tell the Truth About Declawing and Support a Ban in Minnesota
To: Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association

Minnesota cats and the people who care about them deserve honesty, transparency, and protection from this unnecessary harm and cruelty.

In 2026, the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) opposed legislation (HF1857) that would have prohibited elective cat declawing. In testimony to lawmakers, MVMA representatives stated that declawing is declining, that about 30% of veterinarians still perform it, and that the profession has been moving away from the procedure through self-regulation.

However, an independent survey by CitytheKitty.org nonprofit of 85 randomly selected veterinary clinics across Minnesota found that 61% still perform declawing, many routinely.

This shows that declawing remains commonly available in a majority of clinics, regardless of how many individual veterinarians choose to perform it.

Declawing is a brutal and inhumane amputation of the last bone of each toe in a cat's paw. It provides no medical benefit to the cat and is associated with well-documented long-term harm, including chronic pain, lameness, arthritis, and behavioral problems.

The impact extends beyond cats:

Veterinary staff may experience moral stress when asked to assist with the procedure or witness it in their clinics. 
Animal welfare workers regularly care for relinquished declawed cats who often suffer from complications
Many cat owners later experience regret after learning the full awful truth about declawing

The MVMA’s own policy acknowledges that elective declawing has no animal health benefit and is linked to negative welfare outcomes.

Yet despite this, the MVMA opposed legislation that would have protected cats and relied on data that does not reflect how widely available declawing remains in Minnesota clinics.

We respectfully call on the MVMA to:
1) Publicly acknowledge that declawing remains a common and routine procedure in a majority of Minnesota veterinary clinics
2) Clarify prior statements to ensure lawmakers and the public have an accurate understanding of how declawing is practiced statewide
3) Recognize that voluntary measures have not ended the practice, as it remains widely available and performed
4) Support legislation in 2027 to prohibit elective declawing in Minnesota
5) Align its actions with its stated commitment to animal welfare

Cats rely on veterinary professionals and policymakers to protect them from unnecessary harm.

It is time for honesty, accountability, and meaningful action.

Sign this petition to urge the MVMA to support ending declawing in Minnesota.

Here's our full shocking story about this. https://citythekitty.org/mvma-used-misleading-testimony-to-influence-7-gop-legislators-who-stopped-minnesotas-declawing-bill/