24/05/2025
When Enough is Enough: A Veterinarian’s Right to Refuse Service
By Dr. Ging Berdon
Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital, Cebu City
Veterinarians are trained to treat illness, relieve suffering, and advocate for animals who cannot speak for themselves.
We entered this profession to help, to heal, and to make a difference.
But there is a hard truth many of us have had to accept: sometimes the people attached to our patients can cause more harm than the condition we’re treating.
There is a point where we must draw a line — not for lack of compassion, but to protect the well-being of our team and the integrity of our practice.
Yes, veterinarians have the right to ban clients.
And more of us need to exercise that right.
The Myth of “The Client Is Always Right”
This is a business mantra that simply does not apply to veterinary medicine. In human healthcare, verbally abusing a nurse or berating a doctor would lead to serious consequences.
Yet in our field, some clients feel entitled to speak to us — and our staff — however they please.
Let’s be clear: rudeness, entitlement, and emotional abuse are not part of the service we offer. We are not punching bags.
We will never apologize for protecting our team from:
• Clients who yell at front desk staff for enforcing clinic policy
• Pet owners who act charming with the vet but bark at the technician holding their dog (doble cara)
• Chronic complainers who find fault in every recommendation, yet still keep returning
• “Google veterinarians” who self-diagnose and self-medicate, then blame us when things go wrong
• Pet owners who refuse diagnostics, decline treatment, and then lash out when the condition of their pet worsens
• Individuals who use social media to shame veterinarians and their staff
This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and allowing it to continue only reinforces the idea that veterinary professionals must tolerate abuse to do their jobs.
We’re here to help animals — but not at the expense of our team’s mental health and dignity.
Setting Boundaries Is a Form of Professionalism
Letting go of a client is never our first choice. We don’t do it lightly. But a professional boundary is not the same as being unkind. It’s actually the opposite.
We owe it to our team — and that includes everyone from the front to the back of the clinic — to provide a workplace where they feel respected, safe, and valued. That means enforcing consequences when someone consistently disrespects them.
When we ban a client, it’s not because we’re “overly sensitive”. It’s because they’ve repeatedly crossed boundaries. And we’ve made the decision that their behavior is no longer acceptable in a space that is built on compassion, trust, and mutual respect.
This Is a Hospital, Not a Marketplace
Some clients view a veterinary clinic like a market— a place where they can browse, haggle, and argue, where only the medicine sold is worth anything and the clinical effort comes a far second.
But this is a medical facility. We are trained professionals delivering healthcare, not clerks selling products. Our recommendations are grounded in medical standards.
If we tell you your pet needs diagnostics, it’s not because we’re upselling. It’s because we cannot treat what we cannot properly diagnose.
If we ask you to follow protocol or sign a waiver, it’s not bureaucracy — it’s accountability.
If we enforce payment policies, it’s not greed — it’s how we sustain a facility that offers advanced veterinary care and serves hundreds of animals each week.
Let’s Talk About Mutual Respect AND Trust
The vet-client relationship should be a partnership. We welcome informed questions. We appreciate engaged pet parents. We love clients who ask, “What else can I do for my dog?”
But that partnership can’t exist when one side constantly disrespects and distrusts the other.
Being polite to the vet but rude to the receptionist is not okay.
Refusing diagnostics and treatment but blaming us for poor outcomes is not okay.
And if you can’t treat everyone in the clinic — from janitor to senior vet — with basic courtesy, then yes, we reserve the right to say: You are no longer welcome here.
We’re Not Just Protecting Ourselves — We’re Protecting the Care We Provide
Toxic clients don’t just hurt morale. They slow down our ability to care for others. They tie up resources, time, and energy that could be better spent helping patients and serving clients who are respectful and cooperative.
We will continue to give our best to every pet that walks through our doors. But we will also give our team the safety and support they deserve — and that means, sometimes, letting a client go.
Because ultimately, a clinic that protects its people is a clinic that can better protect your pets.
