COUNCIL NEWS
COUNCIL DECISIONS
COLLEGE STAFF
COUNCIL MAINTAINS POSITION
ON MEDICALLY UNNECESSARY
VETERINARY SURGERY
Registrar’s Office
Jan Robinson, Registrar & CEO
Anita Lovrich,
Executive Partner, Policy
The Council of the College does not support unnecessary surgery on
any animal. This position was re-confirmed in a discussion on medically
unnecessary veterinary surgery at its fall Council meeting. Sarah Kirby, Policy & Projects Specialist
“Our Council understands that animal
owners and veterinarians have strong
feelings on this topic. Our role is to
manage the risks in veterinary practice
and consider the best options for animal
health and welfare,” said Dr. Patty
Lechten, President of the College of
Veterinarians of Ontario. Corporate Services
Medically unnecessary veterinary
surgeries include procedures performed
on companion animals and livestock,
such as declawing, tail docking, ear
cropping, tail nicking. The College Council
has held a position on this topic since
2011.
“Council is clear and consistent in
its position that these surgeries are
unnecessary. However, if a client decides,
after consultation with a veterinarian,
to move forward with the procedure
on their animal, it is in the animal’s
best interest that the procedure is
performed by a licensed veterinarian,”
said Dr. Lechten. “We, as veterinarians,
have the skills and knowledge to help
our clients make these decisions about
their animals. Council respects the
professionalism that veterinarians bring
to their relationships with clients and
their commitment to animal welfare.”
Prohibiting veterinarians from performing
a procedure that is currently legal in
Ontario has the potential to create a
harmful environment for animals.
“As a regulatory body, the College
can permit or prohibit veterinarians
from performing specific procedures,
however, that is not a common use of
regulatory authority. Further, prohibiting
veterinarians from performing a surgical
procedure does not make medically
unnecessary veterinary surgery illegal.
Kim Huson,
Executive Partner, Communications
Beth Ready, Executive Partner, Corporate
Services
Sarah Ellery, (on leave)
Records & Risk Officer
Ashley Coles, (on leave)
Business Intelligence Analyst
Leigh Bottomley
Business Analyst
Stephanie Lamarche,
Ambassador, Corporate Services
Licensure
Shilo Tooze,
Associate Registrar, Licensure
Prohibiting unnecessary procedures on
animals would require changes in animal
welfare legislation. To ban veterinarians
from performing a procedure may not
effectively eliminate the procedure but
rather move it to an “underground”
environment where the risks to the
animal likely increases exponentially,”
said Jan Robinson, Registrar and Chief
Executive Officer at the College.
The College’s job as the veterinary
regulator is to understand current and
emerging risks in veterinary practice
and implement strategies to protect the
public and their animals from potential
harm. The public trusts the College
to ensure safety and quality in the
veterinary services they seek.
Position Statement: Medically
Unnecessary Veterinary Surgery
www.cvo.org/MUVS
Lindsay Sproule, Principal,
Licensure & Professional Corporations
Sarah Adams, Associate,
Licensure & Professional Corporations
Rose Robinson, Principal, Investigations &
Resolutions
Martin Fischer,
Investigations & Inspections Specialist
Cindy Rose, Associate,
Investigations & Resolutions
Gabriella Klosak, Associate,
Licensure & Investigations
Quality Practice
Dr. Kim Lambert,
Associate Registrar, Quality Practice
Dr. Colette Larocque, Practice Advisor
Dr. Susan Sabatini, Practice Advisor
Emily Ewles, Principal,
Quality Assurance & Improvement
Aneeta Bharij,
Principal, Accreditation
Ms. Cindy Tang, Associate,
Quality Practice
Accreditation Inspectors
Mr. Wilf Muller
Mr. Adrian Darmon
Instilling public confidence in veterinary regulation
cvo.org
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