Ethicists’ commentary navigating client requests to engage in “harmless” fraud or rule-bending
Ethical question of the month, January 2024
Your clients compete at international horse shows that have strict biosecurity rules. These competitions require preventative vaccinations that are recorded in passports with dates, a signature, and practice stamp. However, when the clients arrive at the venue, it is determined that their vaccinations have lapsed by a few weeks. They telephone the practice in the hope that the passports are not up to date, but the medical record confirms the lapse in vaccine status. They accept that they cannot compete, despite the importance of obtaining national scores. As the clients are getting ready to leave the venue, a show office official tells them that, if their regular veterinarian provides a letter stating that the horses were vaccinated recently and that they will vaccinate the horses on their return home, there will be “no harm, no foul,” and that this is “done all the time.” Although the clients had initially accepted their error, they are now angry at you because you will not comply. Do you hold your ground? Do you attempt to determine if this is indeed a common practice among colleagues? Do you contact the sports licensing body to inform them of this messaging to competitors?
Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, & Dan Weary comment on this dilemma and you can read it here: Ethicists’ commentary navigating client requests to engage in “harmless” fraud or rule-bending (pdf)