We all have something we choose to fight for.
Some people rescue abandoned animals from the streets. Some feed strays. Some foster. Some campaign for adoption. Some operate shelters. Some advocate against cruelty.
Veterinarians have an advocacy too.
We diagnose disease. We treat wounds. We perform surgery. We manage emergencies. We vaccinate animals. We control infectious diseases. We relieve pain. We counsel owners. And sometimes, despite everything we do, we are the ones standing beside an animal during its final moments.
These are different roles.
They do not have to compete.
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DO NOT FORCE YOUR ADVOCACY ON ME
The problem begins when someone believes that because their advocacy is noble, everyone else must operate according to the same rules, priorities, and expectations.
A rescuer may look at an animal and think:
“This animal must be saved.”
A veterinarian may look at the same animal and think:
“What is the diagnosis? What treatment does this patient need? Who will authorize treatment? Who is responsible for the patient? How will continuity of care be maintained?”
Neither question automatically makes one person more compassionate than the other.
They simply come from different responsibilities.
Compassion does not erase professional accountability.
I HAVE NO PLANS TO TAKE YOUR SPOTLIGHT
If rescuing animals is your advocacy, continue doing it.
Raise funds. Build shelters. organize feeding programs. Find adopters. Educate people. Save as many animals as you can.
You deserve space to do that work.
But veterinarians deserve the same respect for ours.
I have no intention of taking the spotlight from rescuers.
I do not need to pretend that rescuing animals is my personal advocacy simply because someone else believes it should be.
My profession already gives me a responsibility of my own.
And I am proud to stand in that space.
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VETERINARY MEDICINE IS NOT A RESCUE ORGANIZATION
A veterinary clinic is a medical facility.
It has employees, medicines, diagnostic equipment, utilities, professional fees, regulatory obligations, documentation requirements, infection-control protocols, and patients that require continuous medical supervision.
When a clinic asks for identification, consent, deposits, documentation, or compliance with admission policies, that does not automatically mean there is no compassion.
Policies exist because responsibility matters.
A hospitalized animal cannot simply become nobody’s responsibility.
Someone must be identified as the person authorized to make decisions for that patient.
Medical compassion and administrative responsibility can exist at the same time.
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PLEASE STOP USING “COMPASSION” AS A WEAPON
One of the easiest accusations to throw at veterinarians today is:
“You have no compassion.”
Sometimes it simply means:
- “You did not do what I wanted.”
- “You asked me to follow your policy.”
- “You charged professional fees.”
- “You asked for identification.”
- “You required a deposit.”
- “You could not shoulder the financial responsibility for an animal I rescued.”
But compassion should never become a word used to shame another person into carrying someone else’s advocacy.
You chose your cause.
Respect the people who chose theirs.
DIFFERENT ADVOCACIES. SAME LOVE FOR ANIMALS.
Rescuers are needed.
Veterinarians are needed.
Shelters are needed.
Responsible pet owners are needed.
Animal welfare advocates are needed.
We do not need to become identical to prove that we care.
So pursue your advocacy fiercely.
I will respect it.
But please do not demand that I abandon my professional boundaries just to prove that my compassion is equal to yours.
I have no plans to steal the spotlight from your advocacy.
Please do not steal mine either.
There is enough work to be done for animals without turning compassion into a competition.
Different roles. Different advocacies. Same goal: a better life for animals.
Sharing this helps others understand what it really means to be a vet. Like and follow if you’re with us.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
