A Vancouver veterinarian known for helping low-income pet owners is being banned from practicing in B.C. after an inquiry by the B.C. Veterinary Medical Association found him guilty of multiple counts of unprofessional conduct -- including de-barking a dog without the owner's consent.

But in an interview with ctvbc.ca Friday, Dr. Hakam Singh Bhullar insisted he's done nothing wrong.

"These are bogus charges," he said. "They've wanted to take my license away from me for years and years."

An internal inquiry by the society found Bhullar guilty of eight charges in relation to a debarking surgery he performed on a seven-year-old Sheltie, Wendy, without the owner's consent in spring 2003. The dog died nearly three months after the procedure.

Related: Read BCVMA Hearing

His actions constituted "a high level of moral turpitude" and "deserving of the most extreme penalty," BCVMA's Dr. Ray Snopek said Friday.

But Bhullar said he's being targeted for his participation in the B.C. Veterinarians for Justice, a group of Indo-Canadian veterinarians who say the VMA's requirement for new members to pass an English proficiency test is a way to prevent Indian vets from opening a B.C. practice.

"His whole fight about the English and the low cost model are just a screen to distract from this," Snopek said.

"These are real people and real pets. This has to do with lack of care."

The details

During the internal inquiry, Bhullar was found guilty of failing to exercise a reasonable degree of care, skill and knowledge during and after the 2003 debarking surgery.

The panel ruled Bhullar exaggerated his experience with conducting the surgeries and did not refer the patient to another veterinarian after the animal got sick afterwards.

Wendy's owner testified the dog was showing respiratory distress after being discharged, but Bhulla didn't do enough to help.

"The surgery went very poorly and the tragic part of this is that the dog spent two-and-a-half months struggling for breath and then died," Snopek said. "This is proven."

The veterinarian later fabricated a portion of Wendy's medical records about the surgery, the panel found.

Cat misconduct

In a separate charge, Bhulla was also found guilty of misrepresenting his identity to owners of a cat, Joe, and tried to pay them $1,200 into withdrawing a complaint made to the B.C. Veterinary Medical Association against a fellow doctor.

"He assumed a false identity," Snopek said.

"He had the people brought to a notary public to sign an affidavit saying they wouldn't complain about another doctor."

Bhullar also contests these charges.

"I've never even seen the cat," he said. "This is not a complaint about me."

But Snopek said the board had little doubt of his guilt.

"The people who laid a claim against him picked him out of a lineup."

What's next

Bhullar has been ordered to pay back the costs of the inquiry to the BCVMA. He plans to file an appeal with the B.C. Supreme Court Monday.

"I believe in the court system," he said. "I'm confident I'll get my license back."

Snopek said the legal fight takes the VMA into unchartered territory.

"We have never seen this kind of behaviour from a veterinarian - ever."

Bhullar will be erased from the registry of the British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association Friday at midnight.

Bhullar is the co-owner of the Atlas Animal Hospital at East 41st Ave and Fraser Street in East Vancouver. He was voted "Best Ambassador to the Animal Kingdom" by The Georgia Straight in 2004.