Robert...to me, that's the kind of thinking that leads to a slippery slope and a lot of uninteneded consequences. First, you speak as if all veterinarians are out only for money....this is clearly not the case as you will see many veterinarians volunteering services for non-profit organizations or even racking up thousands of dollars in accounts receivable because they want to try and help the pet and the pet owner who doesn't have the finances for care. Medical care has a cost associated with it...veterinarians provide that service, but pet owners are the ones who make the choice for the level of care. Granting "standing" in a court of law could, in theory, take that choice away from the pet owner. It is not unimaginable to foresee a case where the owner couldn't afford care but because the pet has "standing" in a court, someone else could sue the owner on behalf of the pet. I don't think that is something we want to envision. And veterinarians are often on the forefront of speaking out about how pets have emotional value and are how the loss of the pet is more devastating than the loss of other "property". But, as it stands right now, you can't sue for emotional damages if your best friend dies in an accident...why should you be able to sue for such if your pet dies? Finally, you must look at the other side of the coin you put out there. Pet owners desire a high level of care for their pets but there are some who refuse to admit that the higher level of care (MRIs, specialized surgeries, etc) comes at a cost. Those are the folks speaking out of both sides of their mouths, in my opinion. Similarly, I have seen multiple cases of owners who failed to follow veterinary recommendations and then racked up additional costs because of that failure. Yet, they will still blame the veterinarian for the issue. I think there should be a special standing for pets as companions, but not one that allows enormous judgements based on emotional value. That road will only lead to higher veterinary costs and a lower overall level of care for all pets.

Thanks for the link, Brent!! There are some great comments being made and I think the topic is one that deserves some time and attention!

Thanks Brent...once again, an outstanding and perceptive article. Reminds me of something that came across my email today... "If you want better from others...be better yourself"

Welcome back Brent...glad you were able to take a break!