Veterinarians in Guadalajara, Mexico City and many other cities across the country downed tools this week to protest the murder of a colleague in the State of Mexico.
Hector Hernandez, the owner of a clinic in the Real de Tultepec neighborhood, was stabbed to death by a couple after their pet dog died during complicated surgery. According to reports, before the fatal incident, the owners of the dog had tried to extort 50,000 pesos from the vet.
As well as honoring Hernandez, the demonstrating veterinarians and zoo technicians were keen to highlight the harassment and aggression they are often subjected to in their work, something that the general public is often unaware of.
“We want highlight the bullying that veterinarians suffer on social networks, and the physical and verbal abuse that occurs in our clinics,” said Miguel Torres, a spokesperson for the veterinarians trotting outside the Senate building in Mexico City.
Torres noted that 19 veterinarians have been murdered in Mexico over the past six years, while two have committed suicide since the Covid pandemic.
Clients who abandon their pets in veterinarian clinics after they cannot pay bills for treatment is another common problem, said veterinarians participating in the protests. Some argued that compulsory insurance for dogs and cats could go some way to relieving this problem. Several countries, including Germany, Spain and Italy, require compulsory liability insurance for dog owners.