All 16 animal cruelty charges against a St. Catharines veterinarian who was caught on tape abusing animals have been dropped. Videos of Dr. Mahavir Rehki’s mistreating animals surfaced in the summer of 2016 and while the case is over now, animal activists say their fight continues.
The crown argued the vet should never have been charged because the OSPCA launched its investigation without receiving a formal complaint, that came as a surprise to Kevin Strooband who led the investigation.
“The crown that we spoke with addressed that and said that there were no concerns with us receiving the information from the CVO without a warrant”
The CVO is the College of Veterinarians of Ontario which had already launched an investigation of its own, resulting in Mahavir Rekhi’s licence being suspended for 6 months. After his suspension and a $10 000 fine Rekhi started practising again in February. But in June the OSPCA charged Rehki with 16 counts of animal cruelty in relation to 8 dogs who were allegedly hurt.
The crown says Rehki has virtually no patients now and is only open on Saturdays. Protesters say they will continue to stand outside the clinic to educate people.
Rehki’s lawyer says his client is relieved that the matter is over and is looking forward to putting this behind him. The crown says Rehki has been reprehended under the College of Veterinarians and has suffered plenty of black lash regarding this case. His health has deteriorated, his reputation ruined and his business suffering.
