Veterinary Jurisprudence and Ethics-in Veterinary Practice

Abstract

Whereas Tanzania is shifting from a planned economy to a free market economy with subsequent change in the laws governing the economy; the delivery of Veterinary Services on the other hand, has to a large extend been liberalised but without corresponding change to the laws governing the delivery of Veterinary Services. The objective of this shift is to promote the private sector to participate more in the socio-economic development of the country and creation of competitive   attitudes. However, human society is a complex one and it relies upon various laws and moral codes to maintain functional integrity and the well-being to its members; Most laws pertaining to the delivery of veterinary services were enacted twenty to thirty years ago when their applications where by and large limited to farm and pet animals and at a time when private veterinary practice was non-existent. Today a veterinarian's engagement goes beyond the traditional livestock and pet animals to include wildlife, aquaculture, crocodile and ostrich farming in an environment of increasing private Veterinary practice. This paper highlights the role of a veterinarian in an increasingly competitive environment and calls for much ethical practice