A district and sessions court on Wednesday sought a reply from a veterinarian on an application of a cat owner seeking the constitution of a medical board to determine the cause of her cat’s death.

Sundus Hoorain had sued the vet Dr Faisal Khan of Pets and Vets Veterinary Clinic and Pet Store for Rs25 million in December 2015, accusing him of negligence that allegedly led to her cat's death.

In an application, Hoorain has now requested the court to set up a medical board comprising veterinary experts which can determine the cause of the death of her pet cat.

The accused have been asked to submit a reply latest by December 5.

The case was filed under Sections 6 and 8 of Islamabad's Consumer Protection Act 1995, which says either party cannot challenge the lower court’s verdict in a higher court.

The cat owner’s version

Hoorain told DawnNews she took her two-month-old cat for a routine check-up to Dr Faisal Khan's clinic in Islamabad’s F-7.

"My cat was admitted to the hospital and I was asked to return the following day," Hoorain said.

Hoorain's counsel told DawnNews that the vet handed her cat over to a staff member who claimed it had a fungal infection and that its fur needed to be shaved off. He said Hoorain was then asked to leave her cat there.

When she returned in the evening, the cat was untreated and shivering, the lawyer said. Hoorain took the cat to another vet, Dr Rana, who said the cat did not have any infection and then put the cat on a drip.

"Dr Rana told me my cat had been kept at a lower temperature, not suitable for mammals. This is why my cat died," Hoorain said.

A post-mortem report prepared by Dr Rana's Pet Care Centre submitted in the local court said that the cause of the cat's death was its exposure to extreme cold, dehydration and starvation.

The complainant accused Dr Faisal Khan and one of his staff members of negligence, and asked for Rs25m in fine.

Hoorain also demanded that all accused serve a jail sentence. She made a plea to the veterinary council to install CCTV cameras in these clinics to monitor how animals are treated.

Hoorain is a lawyer and an alumnus of Lahore University of Management Sciences.