Przypadki znęcania się nad zwierzętami i reakcji na nie a etyka zawodowa lekarzy weterynarii: wątpliwości etyczno-prawne

Veterinary surgeons are representatives of the profession of public trust, and their behavior must comply with the principles of professional ethics, among which responding to cases of lack of welfare or animal cruelty can be found. The aim of the work is to indicate the debatable facts, such as statutory acts and deontological choices (and possible errors) combined with possible abuse of animals, and conflicts with the professional ethics standards which may arise from these situations. Doubts and disputes of a normative and moral nature in relation to various spheres of activity of veterinary surgeons concerning animal protection and animal cruelty are analyzed and presented. Deontological and de lege ferenda postulates, as well as conclusions in the field of moral philosophy, are presented.