Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) signed a bill into law this week making Maryland the second U.S. state to ban the declawing of cats.

Our beloved kitties, who cannot advocate for themselves, need us to protect them, Democratic state Sen. Cheryl Kagan said in a statement from The Paw Project , a nonprofit dedicated to ending the declawing of cats.

The new law , which goes into effect in October, prohibits veterinarians from performing the surgical procedure, unless its necessary for a therapeutic purpose. Those who violate it could face fines of up to $1,000.