In a nation of dog lovers, cat fanciers and budgie keepers, where more than half of homes have a pet, Brits must be able to trust their vets when a beloved companion falls ill.But what happens when animal doctors can’t keep the oath they swore when they became a vet?This week, veterinarian Dr Janine Parody was found guilty of disgraceful conduct after she kidnapped a dying cat from its owner, who had entrusted her to euthanise it after the eight-month-old kitten contracted MRSA.Instead of putting the kitten down she shaved it, removed its microchip and took it home without telling the owner. But Dr Parody is far from the first veterinarian to be accused of mishandling beloved animal friends.Vets practising in the UK do so under the watch of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), and it is to them that they make a declaration to make a ‘constant endeavour… to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care’.The vow also requires them to promise to ‘pursue the work of my profession with integrity’ – but what happens when that goes wrong? Dr Janine Parody (pictured here with a dog) has been found guilty of disgraceful conduct by a professional tribunal Dr Parody (pictured) was reprimanded for her actions, which she said took place on a ‘very busy and stressful day’The vet who kept a kitten for herselfIn Dr Parody’s case, the ending was tragic. After deciding the cat could be treated instead of being put down she decided to keep the cat, called Shadow, for herself, she castrated the kitten and adopted it for herself in December 2021.She told a tribunal hearing that she had done ‘back-to-back euthanasias that morning’ at the Castle Veterinary Group in Framlingham and that she believed Shadow was a ‘happy young cat’.The hearing also heard that she believed the cat had no owner due to an error by another member of staff who told her it was a stray, and that she did not intend to adopt the cat for good.But the single mother was found out when a receptionist asked why there were no clinical records for the kitten. Shadow’s real owner, named in a disciplinary case as SM, was then told the cat was alive and came back to collect it – and was told to pay £480 for the treatment to date. Gallingly, a microchip was initially included on the bill.Sadly, SM had to euthanise Shadow two months later after treatment proved ineffective.SM told the tribunal that Dr Parody’s behaviour had caused her and her cat unnecessary suffering  – and the tribunal, which issued her with a reprimand, said she had made a ‘series of very poor decisions’ that could have been avoided but had been made in the interests of the cat.Paul Morris, chairing the Disciplinary Committee, said: ‘However well-intentioned, Dr Parody made some serious errors of judgment with regard to her approach to Shadow and embarked upon a course of dishonest conduct.’Cockapoo’s ‘deplorable’ death after surgery Scott Fisher and his wife Margaret tried to wage war with chain Vets4Pets after their beloved cockapoo Clarence died due to a botched piece of surgery.The five-year-old was taken to the surgery in Pollokshaws, Glasgow after he began suffering digestive problems – and the family gave permission for keyhole surgery in a bid to find the blockage.No such blockage was found – but after the operation Clarence fell deathly ill after his bowel was stitched up incorrectly, trapping a loop of his intestine and causing internal scarring.Further surgery was carried out and a piece of Clarence’s bowel was removed but it was too late and he had to be put to sleep. Mr Fisher – pictured with an emaciated Clarence – has accused Vets4Pets of negligence, a claim it denied Scott Fisher’s dog Clarence died after botched keyhole surgery saw part of his intestine blockedHeartbreakingly, the euthanasia had to be administered via a jab in the heart because he had grown so thin and weak there was no fat on him into which the syringe could be injected. Speaking to the Daily Record about the 2019 operation, Mr Fisher said it was a case of ‘protect the vet, not the pet’.’We went to the vet in good faith and we got him back in a deplorable state,’ he said.’Then they tried to ignore the fact that what was done had any bearing on him deteriorating and dying. What we had to watch Clarence go through was horrific.’Vets4Pets called the botched surgery an ‘unfortunate error’ but has refused to accept liability. An RCVS investigation found the incident did not amount to serious professional misconduct, according to reports.And the chain vet itself said at the time: ‘The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons have dismissed any claims of professional misconduct or negligent treatment by Vets4Pets.’Mr Fisher had vowed to take the case to court for negligence and to challenge the RCVS decision.However, he wrote on social media earlier this year ahead of a protest outside the RCVS offices: ‘One last thing to do for this wee guy tomorrow, down in London. Then hopefully he can rest in peace, I’ve tried my best.’Cat put to sleep ‘by mistake’, leaving her owner suicidal A rescue cat was put to sleep after potentially being misdiagnosed with the feline equivalent of HIV, leaving her owner suicidal. Linda Joyce-Jones, from Anglesey, felt so distraught after learning that her pet Rosa may not have had feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) that she considered ending her life – until the mews of her other cat made her reconsider.She rescued Rosa from a horrific life with her previous owners, during which time she may have been sexually abused – taking two years to slowly earn the traumatised kitty’s trust. Linda Joyce-Jones was heartbroken when she discovered a test that may have refuted her cat’s diagnosis of feline immunodeficiency virus was never sent away She was left to wonder if rescue kitty Rosa (pictured) was put down for no reason – the trauma pushing her to the brinkBut in 2018, the cat was diagnosed with FIV. Initially horrified by the news, she read into it – and learned cats can live a normal life with it if they are looked after well.However, Rosa’s care progressed to a point where she needed steroids – a no-no for cats with FIV because it risks seriously worsening the disease’s effects. It meant Rosa had to be put down.Horrifyingly, Linda later obtained her beloved cat’s clinical notes – and found out a blood test that was meant to confirm the diagnosis of FIV was never sent away.She said last year of the tragedy: ‘Rosa should have undergone two tests before she was diagnosed – a simple in-house blood test and another where the blood samples are sent off to an external laboratory for screening.’That second test, which would have confirmed her condition, was never ordered though.’It made me feel like I’d failed to protect Rosa, that I’d betrayed her – effectively I might as well have killed her myself.’Looking to turn one of the worst experiences of her life into a positive, Linda then set up her own independent mobile vet service. Appropriately, it is called Rosa’s Mobile Vets, and is thriving.She added: ‘I want to make it clear that this is not an individual vet bashing exercise.’What I’m opposing is the industry increasingly becoming a cost-driven conveyor belt wherein animals are treated as commodities, little more than revenue generators.’Rosa was failed by the system and so were those who treated her. I don’t want the loss of Rosa to have been in vain, I want to turn it into something good.’The vets who ‘lost’ a dog’s bodyWhen three-year-old XL Bully Mhia was put down in June this year following a struggle with kidney disease, her heartbroken owner Brooke Stewart was a wreck.As she came to terms with the loss of her beloved companion, she made arrangements to collect her dog from the vet where she breathed her last.But when she arrived at VetsNow in Glasgow after being told Mhia’s body was ready to be collected, staff told her the body had in fact been ‘lost’. Brooke Stewart’s beloved XL Bully Mhia was put down earlier this year – and her heartbreak was compounded when the vets ‘lost’ her dog when it was set to be crematedMs Stewart learned that VetsNow may have transported Mhia directly to the crematorium, against her wishes, and that the dog may already have been cremated.The shocking mix-up meant Ms Stewart was left unsure if she had even been given her dog’s ashes or that of another pet – compounding her grief. She told Glasgow Live: ‘After visiting another vets I informed VetsNow that I would be taking Mhia’s body for cremation who said that’s “absolutely fine, she’s here”. ‘When I got there I was taken into a room to be told: “Unfortunately we’ve lost your dog’s body”.’VetsNow offered her a memorial stone as compensation – before agreeing to a full refund for what it called an ‘honest mistake’ in communication.CPC Cares, the firm that carried out the cremation, said it had been able to cremate Mhia individually from other pets, as per her family’s request, and that it could say with ‘absolute certainty’ that the ashes given to Ms Stewart were Mhia’s.However, Ms Stewart said she was nevertheless ‘disgusted’ by the entire episode, and felt she had been treated with ‘no respect’. The French bulldog who went in for a spaying – and had her organs removedA French bulldog who was booked in for a spaying instead had some of her organs removed – outraging her baffled owner.Dolly went into Vets4Pets in Yate, South Gloucestershire to have the textbook procedure carried out – and instead had her lymph node and part of her intestines taken out.Astonishing surgical notes from the operation reveal the vet responsible was on shift for a ‘trial day’. French bulldog Dolly was booked in for a textbook spaying operation – and instead had some of her internal organs removed’Seemed to be some damage to intestinal blood supply during op – mesentery (a membrane that keeps the intestines in place) damaged, what looks like a lymph node removed instead of ovary,’ the record states.As a result, Dolly spent nine days recovering in Bristol University’s specialist vet unit and was placed on a specialist diet. Her behaviour also became aggressive. Dolly’s owner, Kelly Chappell, told Bristol Live after the egregious 2017 error that she was told there had been a ‘few complications’ in the surgery before she found out what had really taken place.She added: ‘I don’t want any others dogs to have to go through what has happened to Dolly.’Vets4Pets admitted at the time a ‘serious error’ had occurred, but defended the vet responsible as an ‘experienced practitioner’.It added: ‘We contacted Dolly’s family to explain in detail what had happened and the action taken, and to offer a sincere apology.’We continue to be in close contact with Dolly’s family to ensure she has the best ongoing care.’Cat owner finds profanity written on her dying cat’s incubator A woman was left ‘in pieces’ after she found the word ‘f****r’ written on the side of her dying cat’s incubator at a London vet clinic.Joleigh Anne was horrified to see her pet’s last moments marred so crassly after rushing the animal to the vet at midnight to be given the news that her four-legged friend didn’t have long left.In a public Facebook Group, the pet owner revealed she was left ‘in pieces’ after checking on her pet during his final moments. She felt like he had been ‘abused’, hitting out at the clinic’s ‘unacceptable’ practices.  Joleigh Anne said she was ‘in pieces’ after discovering the profanity written on the top right of her dying pet’s incubatorA distraught Joleigh had shared a photo of the disheartening moment, in which the poorly cat can be seen lying spiritless on the incubator floor. Observations including the animal’s weight can be seen written in marker on the glass container – and, in the top right, one can also see the word ‘f****r’ scribbled on.’I can’t believe people looking after animals would do this,’ Joleigh wrote. ‘I’m in pieces. I left him there with them. I feel like they’ve abused him now and not treated him correctly.’What the regulator has saidAggrieved pet owners who feel they have been let down by vets have called for reform in how vets accused of malpractice are scrutinised.The Justice for Pets Action Group was set up by Jack Bodimead, a former veterinary nurse, to hold the RCVS to account for what it saw as failures to properly sanction vets after pets were allegedly mishandled.In January, the RCVS said that only 12 out of more than 3,300 individual issues – including 620 which progressed to become formal complaints – were the subject of full disciplinary hearings during 2023.And of those, three vets were struck off the RCVS register, while another three were suspended – suggesting few complaints made by upset pet owners ever led to the outcome they hoped for.VetTimes reported earlier this year that of the 788 issues registered with the RCVS between March 2 and May 24, just 178 were subsequently classed as formal concerns.And in the same time period, only three cases involving vets were referred to the college’s disciplinary committee – suggesting that few matters would make it as far as a formal tribunal hearing.The RCVS says it cannot meet the action group’s demand for consideration of alleged negligence beyond what it already looks at in disciplinary cases – but said during its big annual meeting in July it was ‘sorry’ for each owner’s situation.Lizzie Lockett, RCVS chief executive, said in remarks reported by VetTimes: ‘(The action group protesters) feel we should be doing more to address veterinary negligence.’Actually, to do so would be outside of our legal powers and would be very unusual for a professional regulator.’But many of them have lost animals in really sad circumstances and we are sorry for the events that led them to our door this morning.’ Families in Australia left devastated after being given a stray cat’s ashes – and Jack Russell has WRONG LEG amputated by a vet An family grieving the loss of their beloved pet suffered another devastating blow when they were given a stray cat’s ashes in a bizarre vet blunder.Katelyn Tanner-Smith and her family were shattered when their precious kitty Spy died a few weeks ago.Spy was more than just a pet to the Adelaide family. The little cat was a doting and loving companion who left a gaping hole in his owners’ lives when he died.’Emotionally … it hit us a bit,’ Ms Tanner-Smith told Seven News.  Katelyn Tanner-Smith and her family were distraught to learn the their urn had another cat’s ashes Spy passed a few weeks ago, since then the family have had another cat’s ashes on displayThe family paid for Spy’s ashes to be cremated and placed in an urn.For weeks, the family thought Spy’s ashes were in a cat-shaped urn which took pride of place in their home.The ashes in the urn actually belonged to a deceased stray, who had been cremated by mistake.’My cat had actually been left in the freezer,’ a shocked Ms Tanner-Smith said.’It broke me, like he was our family’. The family returned urn to the vet, and it was replaced with what is reportedly their cat’s ashes.Ms Tanner-Smith still doesn’t feel she has the closure she thought she paid for. ‘I don’t even know if it’s my cat really, they stuffed the ashes up once … it just baffles me,’ she said. That was until they received a shocking call from the vet.The Adelaide vet has since apologised for the blunder.’We are only human. We owned up to our mistake and did everything to rectify the situation as quickly as possible,’ they said. Meanwhile, in 2020, a one-legged dog owner described how his Jack Russell named Muni was left crippled after having the wrong leg amputated by her vet.Steve Scarlett, from Mission Beach, Queensland, took Muni to the vet in April with a broken right hind leg after she fell awkwardly when she jumped out of a parked car.Mr Scarlett was horrified to be told Muni’s leg would need to be removed.It came just weeks after the then 52-year-old had his own leg amputated when he was involved in a horror motorcycling accident.  Muni’s heartbroken owner Steve Scarlett, from Mission Beach Queensland, took her to the vet in April with a broken right hind leg and was told it needed to be removed  Queensland man Steve Scarlett was left devastated when his seven-month-old puppy Muni (pictured) had the wrong leg amputated after being taken to the vetMr Scarlett was reassured by the vet Muni would live a long and fruitful life, despite only having three legs.But four days after the surgery when he returned to the vet, he was told they had surgically removed the wrong leg.’They took her round the back, and they’ve done an X-Ray and they found out they cut off the wrong leg. They cut off the left leg instead of the right leg,’ he told A Current Affair. The devastated dog owner said he received a full refund for the operation, but is yet to receive an apology.