Poll: Declawing Cats OK, Debarking Dogs Is Not

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A majority of American pet owners say declawing a cat is acceptable but debarking a dog is not.

An Associated Press-Petside.com poll shows that 59 percent of American pet owners believe declawing is OK, but only 8 percent approve of debarking, the practice of having a dog's vocal cords removed.

The ASPCA opposes declawing, debarking, defanging, ear cropping, tail docking or any elective surgery done to alter breed appearance or behavior.

Forty-seven percent of those polled would support a law against debarking, but only 18 percent would favor a declawing ban.

Thirty-two percent of the cat owners polled have had their pets declawed, while only 1 percent of dog owners have had their pets debarked.

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