Bill 53, Teddy's Law (Anti-Declawing), 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 to add section 17.1. Section 17.1 prohibits the partial digital amputation of a cat unless a veterinarian has determined that the procedure would not constitute a medically unnecessary veterinary surgery.

Bill 53 2021

An Act to amend the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 to prohibit non-essential cat declawing

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1 The Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019 is amended by adding the following section:

Partial digital amputation of cats

17.1  (1)  No person shall permit, cause, encourage, promote, arrange, conduct, assist in, receive a financial or material benefit for or take part in the partial digital amputation of a cat unless a veterinarian providing veterinary care in accordance with the standards of practice established under the Veterinarians Act has determined that the partial digital amputation would not constitute a medically unnecessary veterinary surgery.

Definitions

(2)  In this section,

“medically unnecessary veterinary surgery” means a veterinary surgery that is not required or is not in the animal’s overall best interest; (“acte chirurgical vétérinaire inutile sur le plan médical”)

“partial digital amputation” means the surgical removal of the third phalanx of each digit on a cat’s front paws or front and rear paws. (“amputation partielle des doigts”)

2 Subsection 49 (2) of the Act is amended by adding the following clause:

(d.1) section 17.1 (Partial digital amputation of cats);

Commencement

3 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

4 The short title of this Act is Teddy’s Law (Anti-Declawing), 2021.