A vet in Adelaide has been sanctioned and fined A$5,000 (S$4,400) for performing a series of obscene acts involving animals, Australian media reported.

Dr Marcus Wei Sheng Tan was found to have been involved in unprofessional conduct by the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

Australia’s national broadcaster, which said Dr Tan was born in Singapore, reported that he had touched several animals in his care inappropriately.

The animals included a labrador retriever owned by Australia’s Royal Society for the Blind between August 2019 and September 2020.

During investigations, the veterinary surgeon denied having any sexual attraction towards animals, but admitted to performing other inappropriate acts on them. The ABC found details of the acts too graphic to publish.

Dr Tan’s hearing came to light in April 2024 after the tribunal’s finding was made public.

According to the report, his former colleagues expressed discomfort about his interactions with animals, with one saying that Dr Tan’s behaviours “had no valid medical reason” and were “markedly abnormal”.

A vet who was Dr Tan’s former colleague said: “Such actions would be viewed as violating the patient and breaking the veterinarian-client trust.”

Two other claims involving another case of inappropriate touch and the euthanasia of a sick puppy could not be verified.

The surgeon, who completed six years of study in Australia before entering the veterinary field in 2019, was then practising in the field of animal reproduction. This included artificial insemination.

Dr Tan now faces restrictions which allow him to provide veterinary treatment only under certain conditions.

For instance, he has to be employed by an approved practice under the indirect supervision of professionals approved by the Veterinary Surgeons Board of South Australia.

He will also have to undergo bi-monthly, in-person reviews with a supervisor and mentor, and provide biannual reports to the board.

These conditions, which began on Jan 31, 2024, will last for five years and cannot be removed until he is assessed by a psychiatrist and approved by the board as “being medically fit to resume practice as an unrestricted veterinary surgeon”, ABC reported.

Dr Tan also had to fork out A$27,000 in legal costs.