Regulations Governing the Reporting of Animal Abuse in Ontario

The College of Veterinarians of Ontario considers the disclosure of confidential information about a client or their animals to be professional misconduct, except in certain circumstances.

Paragraph 17(1)6. of Ontario Regulation 1093 states:
17. (1) For the purposes of the Act, professional misconduct includes the following:

6. Revealing information concerning a client, an animal or any professional service performed for an animal, to any person other than the client or another member treating the animal except,

1. with the consent of the client,
2. when required to do so by law,
3. to prevent, or contribute information for the treatment of, a disease or physical injury of a person,
4. when it appears that the animal has been abused, or
5. for the purpose of identifying, locating or notifying the apparent owner of the animal, protecting the rights of the apparent owner or enforcing applicable laws in respect of the animal, where it appears that the animal is not owned by the person presenting it for treatment.

Paragraphs i, iii and v are self-explanatory. With respect to paragraph ii, the College regularly receives inquiries from veterinarians who have been contacted by the police or an animal welfare agency investigating allegations of abuse, for information about a particular animal or its owner. In these cases, the veterinarian can only disclose the information with the consent of the owner, in response to a search warrant issued to the veterinarian, or in a court of law in response to a subpoena.

With respect to paragraph iv, the veterinarian may initiate a report where the veterinarian has examined an animal and believes that the animal has been abused. The veterinarian may make the report to the police, or to an Inspector or Agent of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. A report of this nature is not mandatory, and it is incumbent on the veterinarian to ensure they are making the report to the proper authorities. Not all animal welfare agencies have the legislated authority to investigate allegations of cruelty to animals.

In making a report of this nature, the veterinarian is advised to fully document their findings and reason for making the report. If the owner of an animal chooses to file a complaint with the College about the veterinarian’s conduct, the College is mandated to investigate the complaint. Proper documentation by the veterinarian will greatly assist the College in investigating the veracity of the complaint.

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