To the Editor,

If you care about animals, do not vote for Warwick State Senator Anthony DeLuca!!!

Senator DeLuca votes have hurt both domestic animals and wildlife in Rhode Island.

In particular, he voted against Rhode Island Senate Bill S-2007 introduced by Senator Murray.

The bill would have prohibited the declawing of cats by any surgical procedure to amputate or modify a portion of a cat’s paw although the legislation would have allowed the procedure performed for a therapeutic purpose by a licensed veterinarian.

It has been stated by professionals in the field that declawing can cause pain in up to 50% of cats that have been declawed. Too many cats that have been declawed have experienced complications such as pain, lameness, infections, and behavior changes.

Cats, who have been declawed, often live with chronic pain and often show significant changes in their behavior. Cats who used to be friendly and sociable can become aggressive. This can lead to behaviors such as hissing and using a bite instead of a scratch.

There are various alternatives to declawing, including nail caps, trimming your cat’s nails, providing scratching areas, training, seeking help from a behaviorist, etc.

In addition, State Senator DeLuca voted for S-2154 that allows for hunters to kill turkeys with a Crossbow. It is bad enough that Rhode Island has imported turkeys just so hunters can kill them, but now we are introducing another weapon to kill them.

He voted for S-2297, which is nothing more than a RI Department of Environmental Management smokescreen to take away protection that fur bearing animals like the river otter had for decades before this legislation was introduced. Warwick State Senator DeLuca voted to delete a section that will now allow DEM to promulgate by rule, a list of “furbearers” for this chapter. Previous legislation attempts by trappers and the RIDEM failed, but now legislators like Senator DeLuca have given hunters and trappers, and RIDEM the tool to kill former protected fur bearers.

Senator DeLuca voted in favor of S-2150 which now prevents egg laying hens from turning around freely, lying down, standing up, or fully extending the animal’s limbs until January 1, 2030.

The law in place before this legislation was introduced would have fixed the problem in 2026 thanks to State Representative Patricia Serpa’s successful legislation. So now egg laying hens must continue to suffer an additional four years.

We need elected officials that will not ignore accurate documentation and testimony presented to committees. It is time to elect candidates that are not only willing and able to decide an issue based on facts but also consider compassion for all living creatures.

That is why I will be voting for the state senate candidate for the 29th Senate District Pete Appollonio, Jr.

Dennis Tabella
Warwick