A St. Catharines veterinarian has been receiving threats after videos in news reports showed him hitting and choking pets in his care.

Four former employees of Dr. Mahavir Singh Rekhi filed complaints about his mistreatment of animals at his practice, and in July he pleaded guilty to professional misconduct at the College of Veterinarians of Ontario. He was suspended for 10 months and fined 10-thousand dollars.

Rehki’s lawyer, Neil Adamson, says Rehki and his family have been threatened with vigilante justice.

Adamson says his client, who was trained in India, takes full responsibility for his actions.

He says Dr. Rehki comes from a jurisdiction where animals were treated “differently.”