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HB 5208

Animals: cats; certain medical procedures for declawing a cat; prohibit. Creates new act.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Aragona and 14 co-sponsors

HB 5208 bans non-therapeutic declawing of cats, allowing only medically necessary procedures; violators face civil fines (up to $2,500 first, $5,000 later) enforced by prosecutors.

bill electronically reproduced 11/04/2025
#animals:careandtreatment #animals:cats
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Bill Summary · HB 5208

Summary — HB 5208 (2025): Prohibiting Routine Declawing of Cats

Status: House introduced; bill electronically reproduced 11/04/2025
Introduced: March 14, 2025 (filed); reintroduced/read 11/04/2025
Primary sponsor (latest): Rep. Stephanie Young
Referred to: Committee on Agriculture (also referred earlier to Natural Resources and a joint public safety committee)
Companion: SB 2497

Purpose / Intent

HB 5208 would prohibit non‑therapeutic surgical procedures that remove or disable a cat’s claws, toes, or paws (commonly called “declawing”), with the stated intent of protecting animal health and welfare by limiting these procedures to medically necessary situations.

Key definitions

  • "Cat": any domestic cat (Felis catus) or hybrids of that species; explicitly includes examples such as savannah, Serengeti, Maine coon, Bengal, and chausie.
  • "Therapeutic purpose": a physical medical condition of a cat (illness, infection, disease, injury, or abnormal claw condition) that compromises the cat’s health. Excludes cosmetic, aesthetic, or convenience reasons for owners or handlers.

Main provisions

  • Prohibits any individual from performing, by any means, an onychectomy, partial or complete phalangectomy, tendonectomy, or any other surgical procedure that prevents normal functioning of the claws, toes, or paws of a cat — except when necessary for a therapeutic purpose.
  • Civil penalties:
    • First violation: up to $2,500.
    • Second or subsequent violation: up to $5,000.
  • Enforcement/prosecution: violations may be prosecuted by the county prosecutor where the violation occurred or by the state attorney general.

Who would be affected

  • Veterinarians and veterinary clinics: would be prohibited from performing routine declawing except for documented therapeutic reasons.
  • Animal shelters, rescues, breeders, and pet owners: would be barred from seeking or authorizing non‑therapeutic declawing.
  • Law enforcement and prosecutors: would handle civil enforcement actions; bill provides no private right of action or criminal penalties.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Legislative actions recorded include committee hearings and that the bill was left pending in committee on 05/14/2025. The bill text was electronically reproduced on 11/04/2025 and rereferred to the Agriculture Committee on that date.
  • The bill does not specify an effective date or implementation details (e.g., licensing or veterinary board sanctions) beyond the civil fines and prosecutorial enforcement mechanism.

Potential impacts (practical considerations)

  • Likely reduction in routine declawing procedures and a shift toward alternatives (behavior modification, nail caps, environmental changes).
  • Veterinarians may need policies/processes to document therapeutic necessity for permitted procedures.
  • Enforcement would be civil, not criminal; scope and frequency of enforcement would depend on prosecutorial priorities.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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