Veterinary surgeon cleared of charges by Disciplinary Committee

Dr David Hurley MRCVS appeared before the Committee from Wednesday 15 to Monday 20 July 2026 with two charges against him which related to statements he made to the owner about his planned treatment of a female pug named Niffler at a veterinary practice in Lincolnshire on 19 April 2022.

The first charge was that during a consultation at the practice, he had told Niffler’s owner that the dog would be kept monitored and under observation all night, or words to that effect and reiterated those, or similar words in a later telephone call with the owner on the same day.

The second charge was that, in relation to the consultation and telephone call, Dr Hurley had been misleading and/or dishonest, in that he did not intend for Niffler to be monitored or observed throughout the night.

In considering the facts of the case, the Committee heard from Niffler’s owners and one of her owner’s cousins who was present during the telephone call which was played over speaker, as well as from Dr Hurley himself who denied all the charges against him.

There was no dispute that Niffler, who died overnight and was found on the morning of 20 April 2022, was not kept monitored or under observation all night. Therefore, the Committee first had to decide  whether Dr Hurley had made either or both of the statements as alleged.

Having heard all the evidence, the Committee found that the College had not proved to the very high standard of proof required, that Dr Hurley had told Niffler’s owners that Niffler would be monitored and observed throughout the night (or words to that effect). The Committee accepted that the owners honestly believed he had said this, but concluded that this belief was not sufficient to meet the standard of proof required.

The Committee also took into account Dr Hurley’s good character and the testimonials provided by colleagues and friends, who described him as a person of high ethical standards and unwavering honesty and spoke of his professionalism, dedication, compassion and absolute commitment and devotion to his patients.

Hilary Lloyd, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “In all the circumstances, the Committee was unable to rule out the possibility that the parties had been speaking at cross-purposes or that, in the stressful situation they found themselves, there had been some misunderstanding or miscommunication about the level or duration of care that was to be provided, based on assumptions and expectations.”

Because the Committee could not be sure to the required standard of proof that Dr Hurley had told Niffler’s owners that she would be monitored overnight, it did not go on to consider the allegations of being misleading and/or dishonest. Therefore, both charges were dismissed.

The full facts and findings of the Committee can be found on the RCVS website.