| Complaint: | Complaint 20-27 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Jodie Gruenstern |
| Premises: | Unknown |
The complainant states to review the emails and attachments; we appear to only have the emails and a brief email from the complainant herself. One suspects that there may be more that was deemed not part of the complaint or the public record. Going through what we do have, it appears that the complainant's service dog died unexpectedly. The complainant was a member of a Facebook group, "Saving Pets One Pet at a Time," in which someone named Kelly Bone recommended contacting Gruenstern. The complainant appears to want Gruenstern to consult regarding the death of her pet, but Gruenstern appears to counter by suggesting she begin a "holistic journey" for any remaining pets by buying her book or booking a consultation on fresh, species appropriate foods. The complainant literally writes "We are putting pieces together and need to consult with a reputable, ethical holistic vet about what happened" and later explicitly asks her whether she would be able to consult and give her professional opinion. Gruenstern's emails back tend to become more like those of a therapist, asking what she hopes to gain and why she's doing this, then finally says she's not clear what service the complainant is asking for. After many emails Gruenstern finally states that she's not interested in "rehashing the past nor in finding blame with your local vet" but is willing to provide consultation on changing diets, supplements, or more holistic care such as fewer vaccines, she'd love to talk with her for a price. The complainant notes in a forwarded email to Tracy Reindeau (a veterinary board employee) that Gruenstern knows nothing and that there was no "local vet" she was attemping to blame.
Gruenstern says that she was invited to the post to the Facebook group in question to discuss matters regarding natural nutrition. Apparently, some members of the group have lost pets due to Vitamin D toxicity in Hills pet food. Gruenstern insists that the complainant's original email was very cryptic and hard to understand, and that she wanted to respond tactfully to understand what had happened and what the complainant wanted. She says that a red flag went up when the complainant said she wanted an "ethical" vet as she was afraid the complainant was criticizing either her or another veterinarian. She also says that once she disengaged from the complainant she was sent a variety of hostile and defamatory emails that weren't included in the original complaint. She says that it's no wonder so many veterinarians kill themselves when they have to put up with such things.
The Investigative Committee found no violations.
| Source: | December 12, 2019 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Jodie Gruenstern | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Steve Seiler | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | January 1, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Jessica Creager |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information will be included here.