Free Advice For Pet Owners? Give It And The Government'll Cut Ya
Check out this Institute for Justice video about a retired vet the Texas government is trying to stop from giving free advice.
(There's a law making it illegal to give veterinary advice unless the vet has examined the pet at least once.)
Dr. Ron Hines, the vet giving the free advice, can't do that, because people are putting in requests for him from all around the globe, via the Internet.
More about the Institute for Justice case to help him:
Can the government silence and shut down licensed professionals for giving advice online?This Institute for Justice lawsuit involves free speech and Internet freedom while centering on one of the most important unresolved issues in First Amendment law: When does occupational licensing trump the First Amendment? The outcome will have widespread implications for medicine, law, psychology, investment advice, and many other occupations that often involve nothing but speech in the form of advice. The facts make it an ideal lawsuit for eventual consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dr. Ron Hines is a highly regarded licensed veterinarian who's never had any complaints against him. Being a disabled and retired senior citizen, the Internet allows him to remain productive in his golden years. Yet he's been fined and shut down for giving advice on the Internet, often for free, to people around the planet who have no other access to veterinary care for their animals.
If it were deemed illegal, then that would imply that it is illegal for, say, parents to offer advice to other parents on blogs or FB (there are behavioral specialists, gifted child specialists, and a bazillion other child-related specialists). Frankly, if you have a problem with your kid, the internet is the best place to go because SOMEBODY will have had a similar issue and have found a solution that will work for you. Why reinvent the wheel?
Such crowd-sourcing would be shut down, and one could argue so would things like AA!
Shannon M. Howell at April 10, 2013 2:30 PM
I called Poison Control last year when my daughter ate hand sanitizer. They told me to give her water or milk and watch her for the next hour. Not only had these people not seen her, I bet they weren't even doctors. How is this "better" than what Dr. Hines is doing? If we trust the advice of Poison Control when it comes to our children, why can't we trust a licensed vet when it comes to our animals?
Of course, the government doesn't care one whit about people's pets.
Sosij at April 10, 2013 3:05 PM
Well at least he isn't in Louisiana that requires a license to cut flowers.
Jim P. at April 10, 2013 9:44 PM
I say it's no different than WebMd, or WebVet. Why are they allowed to? If there was a serious concern, I'm sure he would advise an emergency vet clinic.
"to people around the planet who have no other access to veterinary care for their animals."
Unless it's a herd of cows and you depend on it for your living, if you can't afford an animal, it's your responsibility to re-home it.
wtf at April 11, 2013 8:54 AM
Leave a comment