The College of Veterinarians of Ontario says the 10-month suspension handed to a St. Catharines veterinarian found abusing animals in his care is “appropriate for the serious nature of the actions.”
In a statement, the CVO – who handed Dr. Mahavir Singh Rekhi a 10-month suspension in August for professional misconduct -- outlined the process the organization underwent to decide on punishment.
“The College commends the efforts of those who brought their concerns to the College’s attention which resulted in the investigation and public hearing where a discipline panel, which consisted of representation from both veterinarians and the public, made findings of professional conduct against Dr. Rekhi,” the statement reads.
“The Discipline Committee considers many factors when deciding on a proper sanction, including previous cases decided in the courts, and is committed to ensuring that veterinarians in Ontario conduct themselves appropriately.”
The CVO was alerted to Rekhi’s actions after former employees of the Skyway Animal Hospital on Welland Avenue secretly videotaped the vet choking, improperly restraining and hitting animals over the course of three years.
When the CVO suspended Rekhi last month, the veterinary technicians decided to make the videos public.
On Thursday afternoon, following a complaint by animal law group Animal Justice, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced it had launched a formal investigation into Rekhi and his practice. He could face criminal charges of cruelty to animals.
In a document outlining the CVO hearing’s decision, the organization stated that the 10-month suspension was “appropriate” and that it acts “not only as a deterrent” but as a “major statement” toward Rekhi’s rehabilitation.
The disciplinary hearing concluded that Rekhi is eligible to reduce his 10-month suspension to six months if he completes a series of half-day “mentorship sessions,” seminars and online courses pertaining to the proper handling of animals. He was also fined $10,000 as a “partial reimbursement for the costs incurred in the investigation and prosecution,” the statement said.
It goes on to say that the suspension "signals to other veterinarians the lack of humane considerations for their patients will be met with serious consequences.”
The document also indicates Rekhi did “not entirely agree with the characterization of events” but “acknowledged that his handling and restraint of each of those animals on those occasions constitutes professional misconduct.”
Pet owners say suspension isn’t enough
Clients of the Skyway Animal Hospital who showed up to the shuttered business Friday told CTV Toronto that the CVO’s suspension is not enough.
“I’m hoping that he will never work again. I understand he’s going to get four months and I’m not so pleased that he’s going to be able to practice again,” Mike Ingham, who previously brought his parents’ dog to the clinic, said.
In one of the videos recorded by the former employees, a young dog getting its nails clipped begins to squirm and Rekhi responds by hitting the dog on the snout with the metal clippers.
The owners of that dog – named Takota – said they immediately recognized their pet when they saw the videos on CTV Toronto and were brought to tears.
“How can a vet, somebody that you trust, do something like that?” Brandon Fairbairn, one of Takota's owners, said.
“I just don’t understand.”
The owners said Takota still acts anxious when getting his nails clipped, even three years later.
“It has to be from that incident because I didn’t do anything,” Fairbairn said. “I have my own pair of nail clippers and I do it myself and I’m slowly trying to get him to get used to me doing it.”
“It still blows my mind that somebody would want to hurt this dog.”
MPP urges CVO to do more against vet
Disturbed clients aren’t the only ones calling for harsher punishment against Rehki.
Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates wrote an open letter to the CVO yesterday condemning the 10-month suspension. It has since been shared on Facebook over 1,000 times.
Gates said his office has been flooded with complaints from his constituents who are angered by the disciplinary action taken by the CVO.
He said the moment he saw the footage on CTV Toronto he was angry.
“When you have your children and you take them to the doctor, you expect them to be taken care of. You put your trust in them. Well you know what, we love our pets just as much as we love our kids and when you take them to a veterinarian you expect them to be treated the same way,” he said.
Gates, who said he still hasn’t received a response from the CVO, believes the crime “does not fit the punishment” and wants to see the organization reopen the investigation.
He also questioned the amount of time it took for the CVO to issue a verdict in the investigation.
“They gave those videos in 2014 and here we are in 2016 – two years the college has had the video. Why did it take two years to do the investigation?” he said.
“For two years, that same vet that they saw the videos on was able to see pets – cats, dog, whatever they were – in his office. The college really should have had the investigation done a lot quicker and that’s something that we’re going to raise as well when we get to talk to them.”
According to a report by The Canadian Press, Rekhi has received death threats since the videos were released.
The lawyer told The Canadian Press that Rekhi came from an area in India where animals were treated “differently.”
Rekhi graduated from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Ludhiana, India in 1988. He officially registered with the CVO in 1999.
According to the hospital’s website, Rekhi took over the operations in 2007.
With files from the Canadian Press.
Read the statement from the College of Veterinarians of Ontario below:
Read the findings of the discipline hearing against Dr. Rekhi below:
