Posted: August 21, 2009 3:00 a.m. EDT
The Paw Project unveiled a new billboard on Aug. 11 in West Hollywood, Calif., as part of a campaign to make “people realize that declawing is inhumane and should be illegal.”
The billboard, which reads “If You’re for Declawing Cats, Raise Your Hand,” depicts a human hand with each finger severed at the last joint. The anti-declawing organization said the picture is an anatomically-correct representation of the declaw surgery performed on cats.
The procedure is already illegal in West Hollywood, which the California Veterinary Medical Association contested by suing the city in 2005. However, the California Court of Appeals upheld the ban by ruling in 2007 that cities have the right to outlaw declawing and other non-therapeutic procedures that they deem inhumane.
In response, the CVMA sponsored legislation to ensure statewide uniformity of standards for medical professionals. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 762 on July 2, which says that boards and bureaus overseen by the Department of Consumer Affairs have the ultimate authority over medical scope of practice issues and will not allow cities and counties to pass ordinances to ban medical procedures. The law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2010.
San Francisco is considering enacting a declaw ban before the law takes effect.
The billboard, which is located on the southeast corner of Sunset and San Vicente Boulevards, will remain standing for one year. A spokesperson for the Paw Project said that they are looking into placing similar billboards in other cities.
Billboard space was donated by Regency Outdoor Advertising. The design was produced pro bono by advertising firm McCann Erickson.
Click here to see.