Adrian Chiles issues public apology to vets after BVA challenges ‘offensive’ and ‘damaging’ Guardian article

Following a letter from BVA President Anna Judson to the Editor of the Guardian Media Group, columnist Adrian Chiles’s yesterday issued a public apology for his ‘offensive’ and ‘damaging’ comments about hard-working vets made in article earlier in the month.

In his follow-up article ‘vets, you deserve my apologies’ he says “in my previous column, I accused veterinarians of ‘upselling’ remedies for profit, and I am sorry.” He goes on to say: “I should have made clear that almost every vet I have had the pleasure of meeting was exactly that – a pleasure to meet. Mostly not long out of veterinary school, they have been kind, patient, clever and plainly motivated by a love of, and desire to care for, animals.”

Responding to BVA’s challenge he said: “Anna Judson, president of the British Veterinary Association, wrote that my piece sought to “undermine the integrity of the veterinary profession, reducing hard-working, highly skilled people to profiteering ‘marketing zealots’ that put ‘upselling’ ahead of animal welfare”. That honestly wasn’t my intention, but I can see that’s how it came across – and I apologise for that. She goes on to say that “this characterisation of vets and their teams is deeply offensive, extremely damaging and could not be further from the truth”. Again, point taken, as far as individual vets are concerned.”

You can read Anna’s letter in full here.