Bullying of veterinarians: a growing problem in Colombia and Mexico

Recently, the case of a veterinarian from the municipality of Tultepec, in the State of Mexico, who was murdered by the guardians of a pet, has been made public. This case has generated so much indignation that, on February 19, more than 500 people marched in Mexico City under the slogan “not one more veterinarian.”

It all started when, through the social network Facebook, the owners of Mia, a Yorkshire terrier and 8 years old, shared the bad experience they had at the clinic of the veterinarian Héctor Hernández Cañas.

Mia had come with her family, as she had swallowed a bone and had an obstruction in her esophagus. After the medical assessment, surgery was suggested, but the guardians took time to decide whether to perform it or not, which worsened the pet's health condition and worsened her prognosis and evolution, leading to her death due to cardiorespiratory arrest in the postoperative period.

The post on the Facebook group, which has more than 16,000 followers, said that the professional had behaved rudely, irresponsibly and despotically towards the pet and its family , which led to the death of the animal. The post was accompanied by a photograph in which the pet was allegedly found inside a garbage bag.

Immediately, a debate began on the social network, with some people also complaining about the poor care and lack of professionalism of the veterinarian , while others defended his actions. The messages were so widely disseminated that Hector Hernandez had to come out and deny his work, which he had been doing for 17 years.

The veterinarian then began receiving threats from the pet's family, who not only asked him to explain the animal's death, but also demanded payment of 50,000 Mexican pesos. A few days later, the professional shared images and videos of a knife attack of which he had been the victim, and on February 8, the veterinarian's death was confirmed, although the exact causes are not fully known.

Following this case, veterinarians from approximately 17 states in Mexico took to the streets to demand justice , request protective measures for the exercise of their profession and draw attention to cases of harassment, threats and violence against them.

Many voices have joined the cause, drawing attention to the fact that some veterinarians have even had to close their veterinary clinics , modify their opening hours or take some additional protective measures, due to the threats they have received.

Also in Colombia, some leading veterinarians in the field have come out to protest and even the Colombian Association of Veterinarians dedicated to the clinic and surgery of small animals (VEPA) has demonstrated to “demand respect and guarantees for the practice of veterinary medicine , and to stop public ridicule, threats, abuse on social networks, disrespect and permanent risk for veterinarians.”

“Pet owners must understand that veterinary medical professionals are committed to caring for the health and well-being of all pets, but that this is a commitment that falls not only on our profession, but also on the responsibility and care that they have for their animals ,” says veterinarian Alejandro Medina.

On the other hand, Alicia Huertas, a veterinarian, adds that “ veterinary medicine, like human medicine, involves risks that veterinarians try to mitigate as far as humanly possible. No professional wants to see their patient die and see the families suffer, since it is part of our ethics and professionalism.”

In Colombia , there are also cases of harassment through social networks and also in person , in which veterinarians are blamed for bad practices or the death of pets. These cases have triggered threats, attacks on veterinarians, their teams and their families, and also damage to clinics and offices.

“Unfortunately, in Colombia, the authorities do not act in a timely manner and even some media outlets lend themselves to spreading hate messages without proper investigation, which has led to many veterinarians stopping practicing or leaving the country because of threats ,” adds Alicia Huertas.

The call made by veterinarians and the associations that summon them is to report any case of harassment or aggression, even through social networks, and to ask for the support of the authorities in defense of the profession. In addition, it is also emphasized that "people must keep in mind that veterinarians are not superheroes and we try to do everything possible to save the lives of pets , but this is a job that must also involve the families of dogs and cats," says Alejandro Medina.

GABRIEL GARCÍA - FOR TIME