[LisaS]

Yes - and that was the argument of the anti-ordinance speakers (saw an excerpt on the news) - that vet practices were governed at the state level and that a city cannot dicate vet practices.

however, a couple of years ago, this same city, West Hollywood, passed a city ordinance against declawing cats - and I'm sure that the same vet practice argument was made at that time and yet the city went ahead. I'm not sure if any suits/challenges have been brought to see if it holds up or not.