A plea from a small animal veterinarian
To Dr. Christian P. Daquigan, DVM
Officer-in-Charge, Director
Bureau of Animal Industry
Dear Dr. Daquigan,
I write this not against animal rescue.
I write this because I believe that anyone who publicly assumes responsibility for animals should also be accountable for how that responsibility is exercised.
A recent public dispute between a rescue organization and a veterinary hospital has again shown how quickly disagreements involving rescued animals can escalate into accusations, social-media condemnation, and reputational damage.
I will not decide here which party was right or wrong.
But the incident raises a larger question:
Who regulates the rescuers?
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Veterinary hospitals are expected to comply with professional, regulatory, documentary, and facility requirements. Veterinarians place their names, licenses, facilities, records, and reputations on the line every day.
Rescue organizations and shelters that solicit public trust, receive animals, raise funds, make medical decisions, and transact with veterinary facilities should likewise operate under clear and verifiable standards.
The regulatory framework already exists. What I respectfully ask from the Bureau of Animal Industry is meticulous implementation, stronger verification, and more visible enforcement.
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Organizations presenting themselves as rescue groups or animal shelters should be able to establish, at the very least, a verifiable legal identity, identified responsible officers, appropriate registration or accreditation, proper animal records, clear custody and medical decision-making protocols, and a transparent system of accountability.
If an organization solicits donations from the public, there should likewise be transparency on how funds are handled and compliance with whatever government requirements are applicable to such activities.
I hope we can reach a point where the words “animal rescue organization” signify more than a Facebook page, a large following, or good intentions.
They should signify responsibility, traceability, accountability, and compliance.
Because compassion should never exempt anyone from accountability.
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Veterinarians are accountable.
Veterinary hospitals are accountable.
Animal facilities are accountable.
Those who rescue animals and ask the public to trust them should be accountable as well.
This is not an attack on legitimate rescuers. In fact, responsible rescue organizations should benefit from stricter accreditation because proper standards distinguish legitimate groups from individuals or organizations that merely use the title.
Dr. Daquigan, I respectfully call on the Bureau of Animal Industry to strengthen the accreditation, verification, monitoring, and oversight of rescue groups, animal welfare organizations, and shelters.
Protect the animals, yes.
But protect the integrity of animal welfare, too.
And that begins by making sure that those who call themselves rescuers are also willing to be held to standards.
Accreditation should not simply be a certificate. It should mean something.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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