Fiscal Note
The proposed ordinance change prohibits removing or disabling a cat’s claws by performing a declawing procedure, updates and revises bail deposits for violations, and provides the Director of Public Health Madison Dane County enforcement authority to issue citations for violations. Public Health does not anticipate many citations. Informal surveys of local veterinarians indicate that most have stopped declawing cats already. There may be staffing impacts due to following up on complaints, however, the number of complaints can’t be estimated at this time.
Title
SUBSTITUTE - Creating Section 23.66 of the Madison General Ordinances to prohibit removing or disabling a cat’s claws by performing a declawing procedure, and amending Section 1.08(3)(a) of the Madison General Ordinances to update and revise bail deposits for violations thereof, and amending Section 1.08(4) to provide Director of Public Health Madison Dane County enforcement authority to issue citations for violations thereof.
Body
DRAFTER’S ANALYSIS: This ordinance creates a ban on removing or disabling a cat’s claws by performing a declawing procedure, except as necessary for therapeutic purposes, and creates bail deposits for violations of the ordinance.
This substitute removes the exception for wild cats and any references to a licensed veterinarian.
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The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:
See 67344 - Substitute Body in Attachments.