Dr. Jennifer Conrad—veterinarian, founder of The Paw Project, tireless crusader against declawing cats for a quarter century—recalls the initial impetus for her anti-declaw advocacy: her work, as a newly-minted veterinarian, with declawed big cats at a wildlife sanctuary.
Conrad’s own history ended up dovetailing with answering my question about the history of feline
declaw itself, “pioneered” (that may be too lofty a word) by Grant Meisner, in 1952, elevated and promoted by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), gradually becoming a common procedure performed at vet clinics and hospitals. A lucrative one, too. Conrad figures that these days, vets make around $900 per declaw, part of what she calls a “billion dollar a year industry.” That’s a lot of dough, especially when those unaware learn that declaw—while the term might conjure a gentle image of someone using the clippers from a manicure kit to simply trim the kitty’s nail– is actually an amputation of a cat’s toes at the last joint. Deknuckling. That’s truly horrific for the cat, of course, but, Conrad reminds us, the by-products of the procedure ensure there are more horrors to come, including chronic pain, infection, and lameness….and behavioral problems like biting, refusing to use the litter box (commonly leading to the animal being surrendered to a shelter, often followed by being 
euthanised), and a reduced ability to defend themselves. She discusses her reasons for creating The Paw Project, a multifaceted entity that aims to, among other objectives, educate the public about feline declawing, and play a pivotal role in guiding legislative efforts to outlaw the declaw procedure. We note
that, mere weeks before this conversation, California passed an anti-declaw law–the largest state to implement such a ban, and the fifth, after Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Donning her prognosticator’s hat, Conrad predicts the next states to follow suit may be Washington and Oregon. Naturally, I feel compelled to ask her thoughts about what it would take for Florida to join the ranks of the no-declaw states. She outlines the steps involved, underscoring the importance of enlisting a sympathetic legislator to serve as author of the declaw ban bill, someone truly committed, who would remain vigilant about repelling loopholes or other language that would kill the bill. (https://pawproject.org/)
ALSO: l spoke with Rick Chaboudy, president of Suncoast Animal League, who filled us in on the triumphant return of Dogtoberfest—Suncoast’s longtime major fundraising event that’s been often-derailed in recent years, first by the pandemic, then by havoc wreaked by last year’s hurricanes—outlining some of the activities and offerings planned for the day (Nov. 15) at Highlander Park, in Dunedin: vendors, beer & food trucks, games, pet blessing, dog adoptions, alumni parade (a procession of dogs that were adopted from Suncoast), Santa photos, and more. Plus, Chaboudy describes the popular event-within-the-event: Ride 4 The Animals, a fundraising cycling event, in which participants can elect to undertake one of four rides ranging from 12 to 62 miles. (https://www.dogtoberfest.info/, https://ride4theanimals.raceroster.com/, https://www.suncoastanimalleague.org/)
COMEDY CORNER: Brian Simpson’s “Missing Pets” (DS edit) (https://www.briansimpsoncomedy.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
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