A Professional Choice

The events that happened to create a feeling of deep shame occured far in the past, when I was a talented small animal Veyerinarian at one of the largest small animal Veterinary Hospitals in the world, located in Los Angeles, California. The deep shame events happened there and involved breaking my oath to the care of all animals and the other breaking Federal Law.

 

Both events occured in the early 1980s, I have come to terms with the issue of breaking my oath to the responsible care to give to all animals in your care, and feel the passage of time means I will now not suffer any repercussions of breaking Federal laws. The situation I faced in breaking my oath to the care of my patients involved a court order to euthanize six healthy dogs an had an audience to watch. 

 

This started when an owner brought his cat in to be examined because it was not acting well, not eating well, acting in pain. Nothing special about the owner or the cat one exam, lab, radiographs but some severe dental disease was found so a dental procedure was scheduled. Typically all patients to be anesthetized were examined again by the attending Veterinarian. Owners concerns and expectations addressed before proceeding with whatever procedure was to be done that day. Then the patient was admitted and taken to the treatment room and then handed over to trained technicians to start and sometimes due the whole procedure. Basically leaving the Veterinarian to only occasionally observe, write up the notes of what was done. 

 

This owner came in to drop off his cat and I went in the room to answer any remaining questions. This day the owner was immaculately dressed. As I was ready to take his cat back for the dental procedure he said to me I was the only one to treat his cat and no one else. I said yes but would proceed with this case as all others. Somebody else doing the work from the start to finish. He then said I am from Sicily does this make any difference, which it did in recognizing the underlying threat and the consequences if anything wrong happened. Everything went smoothly, the cat recovered after I personally extracted multiple teeth. At discharge he thanked me and said I would be asked to do another job for him. He said he trusted me to do my job as asked. Didn't think twice what this meant.

 

Now to the rest of the story. At times the hospital offered in house euthanasias, some owners just prefered this to be done at home. Of course we respected their decision and willingly provided this service. Obviously at a much higher cost, I never knew how much, I just did what was asked. Usually these were very sick animals, close to death, in pain by now, suffering severely. We were offering a compassionate death, quickly administered intravenously, with very rapid resilts. 

 

This time a much different situation. As I was brought into the mansion in the Hollywood Hills and escorted in by a staff of butlers, to a very expansive room. A large group of people in attendence, basically were dressed for funeral services of the husband and wife. The gentleman who had the cat I treated was in front and subtly greated me. Then I was and my staff member were confronted by a group of lawyers explaining I had papers to sign and showed me a court order signed by a judge, that I was to euthanize six health poodles today. Apparently the husband and wife previously signed papers that if both died then they wanted their dogs to be buried with them, not to be placed in other homes.

 

I knew now what he meant when  he told me I would be asked to do another job, this was the job to be done without any question. I knew the situation I was facing, sure they already paid the hospital a large sum of money, dicussed this with the owners of the hospital, requested that I performed the services as directed. I was the one to do this job. Realizing what I was facing, a court order probably signed because they were paid off by the family of very powerful, influential inner society. Facing some dangerous individuals, I reluctantly euthaanised six healthy dogs.

I had broken my oath six times now and was told to keep my mouth shut or else. Also I was now protected. What could I say or do? I left with my head down, feeling I had failed in my duty.

 

Now to the breaking of Federal Law, a much shorter story but just as threatening. As an accredited Veterinarian, meaning you took tests and were interviewed to sign Health Certificates for state wide and international transport of animals. This was done and signed off by a Federal offical from the United States Department of Agriculture.  This was mainly meant to prevent the transfer of a sick, infectious animals over state lines or international shipments. Usually involving livestock, swine, birds etc. An accredited Veternirian in the state of origin would examine, test and sign off that this indivdual or herd, flock was healthy and not contagious. After arrival then an accredited Veterinarian at the point of arrival would exam the shipped animals and review your paper work. Had to be accurately filled out or there were significant problems to be dealt with.

 

I was presented with a fancy pheasent to be sent to Mexico, every thing was perfect, exam, lab for a very contagious, deadly virus named Newcastle disease which could infect and kill flocks of chickens and cause millions of dollars in loses. Signed the papers but was told I may have to lie, as this person put aknife to my neck. Months later I got a call from the USDA asking if I had inspected the flock of fancy pheasents, now I knew what was meant by having to lie. The threat of having my throat cut dictated my response to the USDA. All the paper work was changed to meet the numbers of birds in the flock. Nothing happened to the flock of birds sent to Mexico or I wouldn't be here today. Then I moved from LA. Did not feel safe there any more. End of the story.