This seems to be entirely an opinion piece. Where are the stats to back the idea that ending declawing in Denver will raise the number of animals in shelters? Declawed cats are frequently surrendered for inappropriate urination or aggressiveness, and they struggle even more in the shelter environment due to the extra stress on top of their pre-existing pain from declaw.
We have choices when we get a pet, and anybody who is unwilling to work on behavioral modifications and providing appropriate scratching pads for a completely natural and healthy behavior, has the option to acquire a different type of companion.