Immediate Action needed today! Please crosspost to everyone you know in CT!

URGENT! HB5655 to prohibit declawing of cats in CT!

A bill to ban the declawing of cats in CT (except in cases of medical necessity for the cat) has been proposed to the environment committee. There will be a public hearing on the bill on Friday, Feb. 29th in the Legislative Office Building, Room 2E. If you live in CT and can make it to the hearing, please do!!

If you cannot make it to the hearing, but would like to submit written testimony to the committee, please email it to phyllis.brett@cga.ct.gov before Wed. Feb. 27th at 5pm. She will make copies and make sure it is distributed to the committee members.

General emails of support can be sent to the members here:

http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/MemberList.asp?comm_code=ENV&doc_type=

To read the bill and track the status, click here

http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB05656&which_year=2008

Here's the title page format I suggest you use for any public hearing testimony submitted:

Environment Committee
Public Hearing Testimony on
H.B. 5656, An Act Prohibiting the Declawing of Cats
February 29, 2008
Honorable Members of the Environment Committee:

You can email the testimony to phyllis.brett@cga.ct.gov who is Rep. Marilyn Guiliano's assistant, and is helping us collect, copy, and distribute the testimony to the committee. She'll print out your testimony and make sure it gets to the members. She suggested no more than two pages in length, and would like it before 5pm on Wednesday Feb. 27 so she has enough time to copy it. It has to be in the hands of the members first thing Friday morning. There is also a fax number you can use if that's more convenient: 860-240-0207.

The hearing starts at 9am on Friday in room 2E of the Legislative Office Building. I believe you are asked to arrive early, get your name on the list, and a lottery number is assigned to those who wish to speak. People are not required to speak, they can simply sign in that they support or oppose the bill. In cases where whole shelters are attending, one or two speakers should be designated ,and then they can ask for a show of hands for the volunteers who represent them.

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We salute Debby in CT for contacting her legislators about this important issue! Thanks for being a voice for the voiceless Debby!

Debby's story:

I'm owned by 3 cats, one of whom was declawed by a previous owner and is suffering the consequences (fear, litter box accidents). My first kitty, also declawed by a previous owner, was found wandering in a parking lot near my husband's work when we rescued him. We had him for 12 years before he passed away from cancer, and have the scars from his biting to prove it. He was a wonderful cat who didn't deserve what someone inflicted upon him.

It was out of these experiences that I wrote to my legislators in desperation for a no declaw bill. One of them, Rep. Marilyn Guiliano, graciously agreed to propose a bill to our state's environment committee. The committee recently voted to hold a public hearing on the bill, HB 5656, and here is where I respectfully request your help. The hearing is Friday, Feb. 29th. If you could put a note on your site, or contact any of your readers in CT, asking them to please write to the members of the environment committee in support of the bill, that would be a huge help. If they can attend the hearing and speak out against declawing, so much the better. I am contacting local shelters and national groups as well.

Our particular challenge is to prove that prohibiting declawing (except in cases of medical necessity to the cat, injury or infection) will NOT cause more cats to be homeless. The legislature voted last year to spend money to help with overpopulation of cats and dogs, and the last thing they will support is any measure they think will result in more homeless pets. We all know that the resulting problem behaviors from declawing are what cause homelessness -- my two are living proof of that. But now we have to convince them.

Thanks for any help you can provide.