Associated Veterinary Partners (AVP) owns 24 veterinary hospitals in 13 states and says its mission is to "advance the lives of pets, pet parents, and veterinary healthcare workers together."

Here's our full story about AVP and declawing. https://citythekitty.org/despite-founders-focus-on-vet-team-mental-health-associated-veterinary-partners-allows-declawing-a-practice-harmful-to-both-cats-and-vet-staff/

AVP Co-founder and COO Dr. Bill Wagner has become a respected voice on veterinary mental health.  He has written about moral injury—the emotional harm that occurs when veterinary professionals are forced to act against their ethical beliefs—and has urged the profession to address the systemic causes of that suffering.  Here's our story about AVP and declawing.

Yet AVP still allows declawing.

Declawing is a brutal and inhumane amputation procedure that can leave cats with lifelong pain, arthritis, behavioral problems and other complications. There are always effective and easy, humane alternatives to declawing. 

During City the Kitty's investigation, employees at AVP hospitals described declawing as an amputation, "very invasive," and "a pretty severe thing." At one hospital, employees said only one veterinarian still performs declaws but the other veterinarians refuse.

That raises an important question:

If some veterinary professionals believe declawing is unethical and wrong, why should they be expected to perform it, assist with it, schedule it or support it?

Unlike many causes of workplace stress, this one is preventable.

Other major veterinary companies—including National Veterinary Associates (NVA), PetVet Care Centers, VCA Animal Hospitals and others—have adopted company-wide bans on declawing, protecting both cats and veterinary teams from this unnecessary ethical conflict.

City the Kitty twice asked Dr. Wagner how allowing declawing aligns with AVP's commitment to veterinary well-being and whether ending declawing could reduce moral stress within his hospitals.

He did not respond.

We respectfully ask Associated Veterinary Partners to:

* Adopt a company-wide policy banning declawing at all AVP hospitals.
* Protect veterinarians, technicians and staff from participating in an unnecessary procedure that many believe is unethical.
* Align AVP's declawing policy with its stated commitment to veterinary well-being, clinical excellence and gold-standard medicine.

If AVP truly wants to advance the lives of pets and veterinary professionals, ending declawing is a meaningful place to start.

Please sign this petition and respectfully ask Dr Bill Wagner of Associated Veterinary Partners to protect cats and the veterinary professionals who care for them by banning declawing.

Email- contact@associatedveterinary.com

Let us know if you get an answer. citythekitty@gmail.com