The welfare of domestic animals in many regions of North America is overseen by humane society organizations run primarily by volunteers and dependent upon donations to fund their activities. In areas where local chapters of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) are poorly supported, veterinarians are often assumed to be willing and able to treat and care for stray and feral animals brought in to them by good Samaritans. Although veterinarians are more than willing to volunteer some time to administer to such cases, in districts without an active SPCA, such work can begin to represent a disproportionate amount of the veterinarian's workday. In addition, euthanizing large numbers of stray and feral animals can be demoralizing to staff, who did not intend to do such work when they sought employment at a veterinary hospital. How should a veterinarian respond in such a situation?
Submitted by Douglas A. Roberts
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Footnotes
Responses to the case presented are welcome. Please limit your reply to approximately 50 words and mail along with your name and address to: Ethical Choices, c/o Dr. Tim Blackwell, Veterinary Science, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Wellington Place, R.R.#1, Fergus, Ontario N1M 2W3; telephone: (519) 846-3413; fax: (519) 846-8101. Suggested ethical questions of the month are also welcome! All ethical questions or scenarios in the ethics column are based on actual events, which are changed, including names, locations, species, etc., to protect the confidentiality of the parties involved.