Ontario could ban declawing cats, debarking dogs under new regulations

Ontario appears set to push ahead with a ban on declawing cats and debarking and ear cropping dogs, a move animal welfare advocates say is years overdue and doesn’t go far enough.

The province is consulting on the possible ban on its regulatory registry through early February, after first pitching it as part of a sweeping omnibus bill of anti-crime measures last fall. The proposal would see the province’s animal welfare inspectors enforce a ban on medically unnecessary surgeries.

“These procedures, which alter an animal's appearance or behaviour, can cause pain, long-term health issues, and behavioural problems,” the government’s posting on the registry says. 

Declawing a cat is the surgical amputation of all, or part, of its toe bones and attached claws. Ear cropping a dog involves cutting and shaping part of the ear to make it stand up straight. And devocalizing cuts out some vocal folds or cords to soften a dog’s bark. 

Animal welfare groups have long pressured governments to ban the procedures. Ontario says that licensed veterinarians would still be able to perform the surgeries if they deem it necessary for the “safety, health, or well-being” of an animal.

The province is consulting with the sector and stakeholders on the proposed changes, said a spokesperson for Solicitor General Michael Kerzner.

“These practices continue to raise animal-welfare concerns and are widely recognized as causing avoidable pain and long-term harm without medical benefit,” Saddam Khussain said in a statement to CBC News.

The College of Veterinarians of Ontario, which regulates the profession, has said since 2016 that it does not support medically unnecessary surgeries for animals. It supports vet efforts to educate clients “in an attempt to influence their choices” when it comes to the procedures. 

But the college also said it believed without "consistent changes" to animal welfare legislation, "any restriction on veterinarians performing specific surgical procedures could create unintended consequences that would not support safe animal care."

Dr. Linda Jacobson of the Toronto Humane Society said that organization is happy to see the proposed regulations. They will provide further clarity to vets who are caught in a difficult position when clients ask them to perform these procedures, she said.

“It removes any kind of ambiguity,” Jacobson said. “A lot of veterinarians won't do these procedures, and the numbers have dropped off in recent years, but it will take away that uncertainty.”

Jacobson said she would like to see the province go further with the ban and issue a blanket prohibition on all cosmetic procedures involving animals. That should include all cosmetic surgeries involving horses and the practice of tail cropping or docking on dogs, which is the surgical removal of part of the tail bone.

“All cosmetic surgeries for animals should be banned because there's no ethical justification for them whatsoever,” she said. “I don't really see that it makes sense to ban some and then allow others.”

Animal Justice executive director Camille Labchuk urged the government to follow through with the proposed ban. At the moment, Ontario is the only Canadian jurisdiction where the procedures aren’t illegal, she added.