“Veterinarian ka. Trabaho mong gamutin ang hayop ko.”
We hear versions of this more often than people realize.
But here is something worth saying clearly:
Not every client has to be your client.
When we became veterinarians, we swore to use our knowledge and skills to protect animal health, relieve animal suffering, protect public health, and practice veterinary medicine conscientiously and ethically.
But nowhere in that oath does it say:
“I shall accept every client.”
It does not say:
“I surrender my right to set professional boundaries.”
And it certainly does not say:
“Anyone who demands my services automatically becomes my client.”
That distinction matters because accepting a patient is not simply opening the clinic door.
Accepting a case means accepting responsibility.
Before taking a case, a veterinarian should be able to ask:
- Do I have the skills to manage this patient?
- Do I have the proper equipment?
- Do I have the personnel and facilities?
- Is this within my professional capability?
And equally important:
Can I establish a safe, respectful, and workable professional relationship with this client?
There are cases we should reasonably decline.
The condition may be beyond our level of expertise.
The patient may need a specialist.
The clinic may not have the necessary diagnostic or treatment facilities.
The hospital may already be at capacity.
Sometimes the responsible decision is simply to refer.
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CAPABILITY IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE
But capability is not the only issue.
There are also situations where the behavior of the client makes a professional relationship difficult or unsafe.
- Threats.
- Harassment.
- Verbal abuse toward staff.
- Repeated refusal to follow reasonable clinic policies.
- Dishonesty.
- Or conduct that destroys the trust necessary for proper patient care.
Veterinarians should not reject people simply because we find them irritating or disagreeable.
There should be an objective and defensible reason.
But neither should veterinarians be expected to tolerate abuse just to prove that we are compassionate.
There is nothing unreasonable about protecting the veterinary team, the quality of patient care, and the integrity of the veterinarian-client relationship.
Sometimes the most professional thing you can say is:
“This case is better managed somewhere else.”
Or:
“We may not be the right clinic for you.”
There is no shame in that.
In fact, knowing when not to accept a case can be part of responsible veterinary medicine.
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PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND PROFESSIONAL DISCRETION
Republic Act No. 9268, the Philippine Veterinary Medicine Act of 2004, holds veterinarians accountable for unprofessional conduct, gross incompetence, gross negligence, and malpractice.
That is exactly why professional judgment matters.
Because if something goes wrong, people will ask:
- Why did you accept a case beyond your capabilities?
- Why did you proceed without the proper equipment?
- Why didn’t you refer?
- Why did you continue when communication and trust had already completely broken down?
So society cannot demand professional accountability while denying veterinarians professional discretion.
You cannot demand professional accountability while denying professional discretion.
There is, of course, an important distinction.
Emergencies are different.
Veterinary ethics recognizes special responsibilities when an animal requires urgent care.
Likewise, once a veterinarian has already accepted a patient and established a professional relationship, the responsibilities become greater.
You cannot simply abandon an existing patient because the client suddenly became inconvenient.
Continuity of care, proper documentation, reasonable notice when circumstances allow, release of medical records, and appropriate referral become important considerations.
That is why one practical rule makes sense:
Choose carefully before accepting the professional relationship.
Once you accept the patient, your responsibilities become much greater.
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A REASONABLE CLINIC POLICY
A reasonable policy for a private veterinary clinic may therefore be:
We reserve the right to decline non-emergency cases that are beyond our professional capabilities or facilities, or when a safe, respectful, and workable veterinarian-client relationship cannot be established. Appropriate referral will be recommended whenever possible.
That is very different from saying:
“We refuse service to anyone we don’t like.”
Professional boundaries should never become an excuse for discrimination, neglect, or irresponsibility.
But compassion should not be used as an excuse to force veterinarians into professional relationships they cannot safely, peacefully, or competently manage.
Even human medicine recognizes that professional service does not mean unlimited compulsory access to one particular doctor.
Veterinary medicine should not be treated as though veterinarians have no professional discretion at all.
Because our oath was never:
“The customer is always right.”
Our oath was about practicing veterinary medicine responsibly.
Doctors have boundaries.
Veterinarians have boundaries.
Being called “Doctor” comes with responsibility.
It does not mean being permanently available to anyone who demands your services.
Veterinary medicine is indeed a profession of service.
But service does not mean servitude.
Compassion does not mean surrendering every boundary.
And protecting your peace of mind does not automatically make you a less compassionate veterinarian.
Sometimes protecting your staff, recognizing your limitations, maintaining professional boundaries, and referring a patient to someone better suited to handle the case is exactly what responsible veterinary medicine requires.
We swore to practice veterinary medicine conscientiously, competently, and ethically.
We did not swear to accept everyone, tolerate everything, or practice beyond our capabilities simply because someone demands it.
SOURCES
- Philippine Veterinary Medical Association, Veterinarian’s Oath
- Philippine Veterinary Medical Association, Code of Ethics
- Republic Act No. 9268, Philippine Veterinary Medicine Act of 2004
- Philippine Medical Association and Professional Regulation Commission, Code of Ethics of the Medical Profession
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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