Ethicists' commentary on appropriate professional actions for a complex situation
Ethical question of the month, October 2024
You are a recent graduate working in a resort town with no overnight emergency hospital. A client on vacation in a motor home brings in a small dog that is having difficulty whelping its first litter. The dog is admitted, and after appropriate workup and labor support, the dog delivers 3 puppies. One puppy remains unborn, but you must leave at the end of your working day. You offer to take the dog home with you to continue to monitor and assist in the delivery of the final pup. On the way home, the young bitch kills 2 of the puppies. You and the clients are obviously very upset, but they seem understanding. The final pup is delivered, and the dogs are discharged the following day. A month later, you receive a complaint from the veterinary regulator. It appears after returning home, the clients were encouraged by their regular veterinarian to question your handling of the situation. Ultimately, the case is dismissed, but you are very stressed and upset during the process and feel much less willing to “work outside the box” in future.
Is it appropriate for colleagues to handle cases of concern in this way?
Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, & Dan Weary comment on this dilemma and you can read it here: https://curis.ku.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/448539539/cvj_01_2025_10.pdf (pdf).