AB 867: Veterinary medicine: cat declawing.

The bill aims to regulate the practice of veterinary medicine in California by including the performance of tendonectomy, onychectomy, and any type of claw removal on a feline within the practice of veterinary medicine, surgery, and dentistry. These procedures can only be performed for therapeutic purposes, and the California Veterinary Medical Board can deny, revoke, or suspend a license or registration for any reason other than a therapeutic purpose. The bill also excludes the performance of these procedures from provisions allowing a person to practice veterinary medicine as an owner of their own animals. Additionally, the bill allows local ordinances adopted before January 1, 2026, to limit the performance of these procedures.