New York § 381 Prohibition of the declawing of cats

New York Statutes

§ 381 — Prohibition of the declawing of cats

New York § 381

Law AGMAgriculture & Markets

Art. 26Animals

This text of New York § 381 (Prohibition of the declawing of cats) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

N.Y. Agriculture & Markets § 381 (2026).

Text

§ 381. Prohibition of the declawing of cats.

1.No person shall\nperform an onychectomy (declawing), partial or complete phalangectomy or\ntendonectomy procedure by any means on a cat within the state of New\nYork, except when necessary for a therapeutic purpose. Therapeutic\npurpose means the necessity to address the physical medical condition of\nthe cat, such as an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease,\ninjury or abnormal condition in the claw that compromises the cat's\nhealth. Therapeutic purpose does not include cosmetic or aesthetic\nreasons or reasons of convenience in keeping or handling the cat.\n 2. Any person who performs an onychectomy, partial or complete\nphalangectomy or tendonectomy procedure on any cat within the state of\nNew York in violation of the prov

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§ 381. Prohibition of the declawing of cats. 1. No person shall\nperform an onychectomy (declawing), partial or complete phalangectomy or\ntendonectomy procedure by any means on a cat within the state of New\nYork, except when necessary for a therapeutic purpose. Therapeutic\npurpose means the necessity to address the physical medical condition of\nthe cat, such as an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease,\ninjury or abnormal condition in the claw that compromises the cat's\nhealth. Therapeutic purpose does not include cosmetic or aesthetic\nreasons or reasons of convenience in keeping or handling the cat.\n 2. Any person who performs an onychectomy, partial or complete\nphalangectomy or tendonectomy procedure on any cat within the state of\nNew York in violation of the provisions of subdivision one of this\nsection shall be punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed one\nthousand dollars.\n