Quebec has instituted a provincewide ban on four cosmetic procedures for animals: vocal cord removal, ear cropping, tail trimming, and cat declawing for esthetic purposes.  These non-essential procedures, widely discouraged by veterinarians due to associated risks and issues, are now formally prohibited under the new regulation.

Gaston Rioux, president of L’Ordre des medecins veterinaires du Quebec, discussed the popular new measure in an interview, “This movement is not unique to Quebec,” he said, “Worldwide, this is the type of surgery that is banned and discouraged.”

Under the new regulations, veterinarians will still be allowed to recommend the banned surgeries for medical therapeutic purposes. A further exception is made for ear cropping stray cats in authorized capture, sterilize, and release programs.

The comprehensive animal welfare update additionally imposes bans on euthanasia by inhalation, leashing animals without a collar, mating animals of incompatible sizes, and feeding meat to pet pigs. Further, it introduces stringent standards for animal welfare, such as stricter control of commercial breeding practices.

The new regulations also position Ontario as the only province in Canada which still permits cat declawing.