Veterinarians in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia are now required to report possible cases of animal abuse, neglect and cruelty under changes to the Animal Protection Act, reports the ChronicleHerald. The law is similar to the one that requires doctors to report suspected cases of child abuse.
Prior to the changes in the law, pets were considered “personal information” of the owners, and thusly regarded as private. As a result, veterinarians may have had to risk court reprisals from owners, said Kristin Williams, executive director of the Nova Scotia SPCA. “This is a much-needed, much-improved part of the legislation,” she continued.
That’s not the only change to the law. Livestock will no longer fall under the auspices of the SPCA but instead be watched over by the Agriculture Department.
This shift is expected to save the SPCA, which has a significantly lower budget, a substantial amount of money.
“They [the Agriculture Department] are a ministry within the government that has dedicated resources that are paid through tax dollars to facilitate these investigations,” Williams said. “They have access to training and veterinarian services that are specific to large animals, and other specialties in terms of skills.”
This frees up time and energy to focus on companion animals, such as dogs and cats. The Nova Scotia SPCA handles more than 1,500 complaints per year.
PHOTOS: MyFinances.co.uk
Do you think American veterinarians should also have to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect? Let us know your thoughts!
Category : News
Lorie Huston
Feb 01, 2010
The short and simple answer to your question is yes, I think American veterinarians should be required to report cases of suspected animal abuse. However, I also think the subject is not as cut and dried as many might think it to be. There are cases where it becomes difficult to define abuse. In cases where the dog is being beaten or molested, it’s easy to call the situation abusive. However, there are cases which fall into a gray area. For instance, does the failure to seek veterinary care when a pet falls ill constitute abuse? What if the pet owner cannot afford veterinary care for the pet? Still abuse? I know how I would answer these questions, but I also know that there are many who would disagree with me about my answers.
I’m definitely not opposed to this type of legislation. I have, on occasion, reported pet owners who I felt were abusive to their pets. I have even provided testimony pertaining to an abused pet at the abuser’s trial. However, I am concerned that sweeping legislation without adequate definitions of abuse/neglect and clear guidelines as to who to report and how could render the legislation ineffective and impossible to enforce.