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CA AB867
Bill
Status
Passed
10/9/2025
Primary Sponsor
Alex Lee
Click for details
AI Summary
- Restricts cat declawing procedures (onychectomy, tendonectomy, or claw removal) to only therapeutic purposes, defined as medically necessary treatment for existing or recurring infection, disease, injury, or abnormal condition that jeopardizes the feline's health
- Prohibits declawing for cosmetic, aesthetic, or convenience reasons, and excludes these procedures from the exemption allowing owners to practice veterinary medicine on their own animals
- Authorizes the California Veterinary Medical Board to deny, revoke, or suspend licenses or assess fines against veterinarians who perform declawing for non-therapeutic purposes
- Preserves local ordinances adopted before January 1, 2026 that limit feline declawing procedures, specifying the state law does not preempt existing local restrictions
- Nail trimming and nonsurgical scratching mitigation solutions (such as claw caps) remain permitted and are not affected by the legislation
Legislative Description
Veterinary medicine: cat declawing.
Last Action
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 479, Statutes of 2025.
10/9/2025
Committee Referrals
Appropriations6/23/2025
Business, Professions and Economic Development5/7/2025
Rules4/29/2025
Appropriations4/1/2025
Business and Professions3/3/2025
Full Bill Text
No bill text available