A few days ago, a foreign national walked into our hospital carrying a kitten. From the way he spoke, there was already a quiet tone of entitlement. His opening line was not a request but a demand:
“I need a doctor for this kitten.”
The vet immediately approached the counter, ready to assess the patient. But before any examination could even begin, he suddenly said he had no way to take care of the kitten. That he only picked it up from the street. That he could not be responsible for it.
When the vet calmly explained that our role is to provide medical treatment and that ownership and long-term responsibility cannot simply be transferred to the clinic, his tone changed.
He said, “You are professionals. You should know better.”
And then, without any assessment, consent, or proper turnover, he angrily walked out.
No accountability.
Just abandonment, wrapped in a sense of privilege.
What stung was not just the refusal to take responsibility, but the unspoken belief that because he was a foreigner, his expectations should automatically be followed. That Filipino professionals should quietly absorb the burden.
That is not compassion.
That is entitlement.
Professional Boundaries in Veterinary Care
Veterinary hospitals are not shelters. We are not social welfare agencies. We are healthcare institutions with ethical, legal, and professional boundaries.
Yes, we are compassionate. Yes, we often go beyond what is required. But compassion does not erase responsibility. Kindness does not mean obligation. Professionalism does not mean we carry every burden someone else decides to abandon.
Being a guest in another country is a privilege, not a license.
Respect is not automatic, it is earned.
Foreign or local, no one has the right to abandon responsibility or weaponize privilege.
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