Video of duo misbehaving at vet clinic: Nurses suspended

Ohana VetCare said it was alerted to the video of its two nurses displaying "inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour" in relation to animals in the clinic. The video was shared on Wednesday. PHOTOS: KAKIS' CLUB/FACEBOOK

A veterinary clinic in Pasir Ris has suspended two of its nurses after a video of them behaving inappropriately with animals in the clinic was posted online.

Apologising for the actions of its staff yesterday and for any distress caused, Ohana VetCare told The Straits Times that it "will review their conduct in the meantime as well as investigate the incident fully before deciding on our next course of action".

The clinic said it would contact the clients whose pets were in the video "to apologise and provide them with a full explanation".

The video, made up of several different clips, was shared on the Kakis' Club Facebook page on Wednesday. In one part of the video, a person is seen throwing teardrop-shaped objects on the floor with the caption "bouncing testicles". In the next part of the clip, a person wearing a surgical mask juggles similar objects. Another segment shows a woman in scrubs clapping her hands behind a cat which appears to have had its ears surgically removed.

Ohana VetCare's Facebook post on the incident on Wednesday had garnered more than 500 comments by 1pm yesterday.

Many netizens berated the nurses' actions. Facebook user Nor Aishah Abu Bakar wrote: "Such barbaric acts by these staff (should) not be taken lightly. Obviously these staff have no respect for these voiceless ones... "

Ohana VetCare said it was alerted to the video of its two nurses displaying "inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour" in relation to animals in the clinic. It then contacted the employees involved to remove the clip from their social media accounts.

"We have decided not to immediately terminate their employment as we are a company that believes in giving people second chances... the nurses are contrite over what they did and are truly remorseful. We will counsel them further before deciding how to move forward." If the nurses do stay on at the clinic, it said, they would not handle animals but instead be confined to administrative roles.

The clinic said it plans to conduct weekly meetings and training sessions with all employees. "Our primary aim is to ensure the welfare and well-being of all animals," it said, adding that it was an isolated incident and did not reflect the clinic's work ethics.

The Animal and Veterinary Service said it was aware of the incident and is looking into the case. "The veterinary profession is expected to perform their duties to the highest standard and also ensure their staff do so. The behaviour of the nurses as seen in the videos raises questions on their professionalism," it said.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 15, 2019, with the headline Video of duo misbehaving at vet clinic: Nurses suspended. Subscribe