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3/20/2025
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Rep. O’Brien reintroduces bill to prohibit cat declawing
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STATE HOUSE – Rep. William W. O’Brien has reintroduced legislation to prohibit the declawing of cats in Rhode Island. Representative O’Brien’s bill was heard by the House Judiciary Committee on March 4.
The legislation (2025-H 5668) would prohibit declawing of a cat unless a licensed veterinarian has determined that the procedure is medically necessary procedure to address an illness, infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition that compromises the cat’s health. Violators would face fines of up to $1,000.
“Mutilating a defenseless cat for any reason other than medical necessity is simply wrong and has no place in civilized society. This barbaric practice has been outlawed in many other states and countries, and it’s time for Rhode Island to do the right thing and protect our feline friends,” said Representative O’Brien (D-Dist. 54, North Providence).
Onychectomy, or declawing, is not merely a permanent nail clipping. It is the amputation of the final bone in each of an animal’s toes. It can cause infection, paw pain, nerve damage, lameness and back pain, and has been shown to increase the risks for biting, aggression and house soiling among cats.
Rhode Island already prohibits landlords from requiring tenants’ cats to be declawed. Federal housing laws prohibit such conditions in public housing nationwide.
According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, declawing is banned in at least 38 countries, including almost all of western Europe. New York, Maryland and Massachusetts have passed statewide bans, and numerous cities around the country have local bans. The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Legal Defense Legislative Fund, as well as numerous other animal protection organizations, support the legislation.
Sen. Melissa Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield) has introduced the bill (2025-S 0180) in the Senate.
Over the past several General Assembly sessions, Representative O’Brien has seen several animal protection bills become law, including a bill which establishes a procedure for the owner or guardian of an animal in the custody of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA) to pay reasonable expenses for the animal’s care, including shelter and food and a law which expands Family Court jurisdiction to allow protective orders to provide for the safety and welfare of household pets in domestic abuse situations. He also was the sponsor of a law that requires anyone entrusted with the care and control of an animal, such as a veterinarian or an animal shelter worker, to report any discovered instance of animal cruelty to the proper authorities and another law that speeds up the process of adoption for any animals that are abandoned or impounded.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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