The Delhi High Court has sought response from the Veterinary Council of India and Animal Welfare Board of India, among other authorities, in a plea alleging lackadaisical conduct of the concerned authorities towards medical practices in veterinary services.
The Division Bench, led by Chief Justice D. N. Patel and also comprising Justice Jyoti Singh, was on Friday hearing a petition filed by animal rights activist and wildlife researcher Sangeeta Dogra. The Court issued notice in the matter and posted it for October 21.
The petitioner lost one of her pets in January last year, within few hours of receiving medical treatment from a Veterinarian. She filed a complaint at the nearby Police Station, and also requested the Veterinary Officers to conduct a post-mortem of the pet, but the same was refused.
The petitioner has been running pillar to post since then, requesting for action against the concerned authorities for their ignorant conduct, but no action has been initiated as yet.
Thereafter in August this year, the petitioner lost one of her other pets also, as several Veterinarians refused to administer medical treatment on the pet. “Life and death are part of treatment, however, the treatment shall not be denied”, the petition claimed.
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Claiming denial of medical treatment or post-mortem to animals to be an abuse of Veterinary Oath (Standard of Professional Conduct, Etiquette And Code Of Ethics) under Veterinary Council Of India Act 1984, the plea sought action against the VCI, the AWBI and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Noida, for supporting Hippocratic Veterinary Oath and Practices.
The plea further prayed for directing personal appearance of the concerned authorities for dereliction of duties and indiscipline conduct towards animals in violation of various orders passed by different Courts, including the Apex Court, over time. In addition, the plea sought action against those quack veterinary practitioners who do not possess the requisite qualification.