Before this year, Ebola was a disease relegated to remote villages in Africa. Even public health officials did not worry about it spreading very far. Until recently, they would probably say that the virus typically burned out after ravaging only a handful of people. Then came 2014, a year that has, in many ways, rewritten […]
Continue ReadingMelbourne’s Spring racing has again raised the question of the use of whips as performance aids in thoroughbreds. Jockey Zac Purton was fined $3000 over his “excessive” whipping of Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti. For the same ride, Purton collected $87,500 prize money. Let’s begin an ethical investigation of this issue by imagining the following […]
Continue ReadingThose who have travelled through neighbouring countries like Singapore and Malaysia may have paused more than once to consider the status of animal protection in those nations. Perhaps such a thought has arisen while wandering in a market place, or in view of grazing cattle, or when learning about the perilous state of wildlife in […]
Continue ReadingWhen should we advise euthanasia for a terminally ill animal rather than palliative care? Should we reduce or waive the fee to save the life of an ill patient? Would it be a good idea to insist that patients who need surgical correction for significant hereditary problems also be desexed to prevent genetic transmission? Might […]
Continue ReadingThe British veterinary profession’s relationship with its regulatory body, The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), was for many years one of mute acceptance; presumably because any institution prefixed ‘Royal’ was dutifully honoured and most definatly obeyed. In recent years as the rate of change and complexity in the veterinary world has accelerated, the profession […]
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