Ethicists’ commentary on treating animals without payment or without owners
Ethical question of the month, February 2022
You manage a multi-doctor practice in a low-income area of a city. You have accepted many animals that have been hit by cars; however, these animals are never claimed, or their owners are unable to pay for their emergency care. This has become a drain on both the staff and hospital resources. Now the city where you are located has introduced a program in which animals that are hit by cars are picked up by city pound employees and taken to veterinarians as needed.
A veterinary colleague from out of town happens upon a seri- ously injured dog near your hospital. After assuring bystanders that they can get help, they call you and ask if you can accept the dog for emergency care. You want to help but understand that accepting this dog will undermine your own management decision. Your colleague is upset and angered by your response and will likely make that known to the assembled group of concerned bystanders. What do you do?
Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, & Dan Weary comment on this dilemma and you can read it here: Ethicists’ commentary on treating animals without payment or without owners (pdf)