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We begin with hot news stories including Japan resumes commercial whaling, a juvenile black bear was shot by authorities after becoming habituated to people who left food for him, a report predicts most of meat consumed by 2040 will be grown in bioreactors and not from slaughtered animals, a 2 year old boy dies from E coli infection linked to contact with animals at the San Diego County Fair, and more.
Should otters be kept as pets?
Peter then welcomes Ethan Wolf, World Animal Protection Exotic Pets Campaign Manager, who explains how the craze of having captured otters as pets in Thailand and Japan is growing, being fueled by social media. These river otters, who in the wild live in large family groups and are highly social, are captured and sold in to the cruel and neglectful illegal pet trade. He answers the question “Should otters be kept as pets?”
Will the cat declawing ban become law in New York?
To conclude, Lori welcomes back to the show, NYS assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal to speak about her bill to ban declawing of cats without a valid medical reason. It awaits Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature.
Update: This Legislation was signed into law on July 22, 2019. From the NYS Governor’s website:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.5532B/A.1303) banning the performance of declawing procedures on cats, making New York the first state to prohibit the practice. The bill takes effect immediately.
“Declawing is a cruel and painful procedure that can create physical and behavioral problems for helpless animals, and today it stops,” Governor Cuomo said. “By banning this archaic practice, we will ensure that animals are no longer subjected to these inhumane and unnecessary procedures.”
Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris said, “Cat declawing is a brutal procedure similar to severing a human finger at the first knuckle and has lifelong ramifications for cats. I am proud of the new Senate majority’s emphasis on animal welfare and am glad the Governor enacted this legislation.”
Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal said, “Today, New York becomes the first state in the nation to ban cat declawing. Declawing is cruelty, plain and simple, and with so many low-cost and pain-free alternatives available, there is no reason to allow this barbaric practice to continue, not here in New York or anywhere. It’s a wonderful day for the cats of the state and the people who love them. Now that my bill has become law, New York has been catapulted onto the leaderboard of humane states, and we expect other states to quickly follow in out footsteps.”
Declawing, also known as onychectomy, involves the removal of all or most of the last bone of each of the toes of the front feet, and tendons, nerves and ligaments that allow for normal function of the paw are severed, resulting in intense and chronic pain and other serious medical or behavioral issues. After the claws are removed, cats often shift their gait and where it places most of its weight, causing strain on its leg joints and spine, which can lead to early onset arthritis and prolonged back and joint pain. Cats’ claws play an important role in various aspects of their lives, including to assist in climbing and maintaining balance and to escape danger.
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