Chandigarh, Oct 9: A Sangrur-born Indian-origin veterinarian has written a powerful memoir exposing systemic racism within Canada’s veterinary establishment.
In Underdog: A Veterinarian’s Fight Against Racismo and Injustice, Dr. Hakam Singh Bhullar recounts his 13-year struggle against institutional discrimination in British Columbia’s veterinary system — a case that led to the longest human rights trial in Canadian history.
Dr. Bhullar, who hails from the village of Saron in Punjab’s Sangrur district, opened Vancouver’s first low-cost animal clinic in 1995, an initiative aimed at making veterinary care accessible to low-income families, the homeless, and animal welfare groups. As the first Indo-Canadian veterinarian to launch such a service, he also mentored newly arrived immigrant professionals, challenging the industry’s profit-driven practices.
However, his success soon drew opposition from the British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association (BCVMA). According to Dr. Bhullar, the association subjected him to discriminatory licensing barriers, surprise inspections, and repeated complaints, sparking a protracted legal battle.
“What began as a fight for fairness turned into a 13-year ordeal against systemic racism and injustice,” Dr. Bhullar said. “This book is not just about my story — it’s about persistence, community, and the belief that justice can prevail even when the odds are stacked against you.”
The legal proceedings culminated in a landmark human rights ruling and a rare public apology from the BCVMA. The case, extensively detailed in Underdog, exposed entrenched prejudice within professional regulatory bodies and highlighted the challenges faced by racial minorities in Canadian institutions.
The memoir also includes startling revelations, including surveillance footage of a senior BCVMA official saying, “Gone are the days when you can go there with a torch and burn the place down. Quicker way.” Dr. Bhullar writes that such remarks revealed the extent to which bias and hostility were normalized within the system.
Speaking to The Tribune, Dr. Bhullar described Underdog as both a memoir and a “call to action” urging readers to confront systemic inequities and demand accountability. “This story belongs to every person who has been told to stay silent or accept injustice. It’s proof that truth and courage still matter,” he noted.
Born in 1962 in Sangrur’s Saron village, Dr. Bhullar graduated from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, in 1986, and worked as a Veterinary Officer in the Punjab government before migrating to Canada in 1991. Two years later, he completed a veterinary internship at Iowa State University in the United States.
By 1995, Dr. Bhullar was licensed by the BCVMA and opened his first clinic, Atlas Animal Hospital, in Vancouver. His efforts to make animal care affordable and ethical earned wide community support but also brought him face-to-face with systemic resistance.
“Underdog reminds us how institutions can be weaponized to suppress voices of equity,” Dr. Bhullar said. “But it also shows that resilience and solidarity can break those barriers.”
As racial disparities continue to challenge professional spaces across North America, Dr. Bhullar’s story stands as both a warning and a beacon of hope for those still fighting for fairness.
