| Complaint: | Complaint 22-100 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Scot Diskin |
| Premises: | PAWS The Modern Spay Neuter Clinic |
The complainant says that the veterinarian called her and her dog back and gave the dog the meanest look she's ever seen after her dog barked at him. She says she apologized but he just slammed the door and went out of the room; according to her, she confronted him about his behavior and he threw a clipboard down and told her to get out. He asked her how she would feel if she had to start your day with a dog barking, but she said that he was scared and in a new place; Diskin allegedly yelled and asked if she ever took her dog out anywhere. He also told the front desk to call the cops if she came back.
The complainant also says that she's checked their reviews and finds a common thread of poor treatment of customers, including claims about aggressive dogs and mistreated pets. She says that she's going to find all the people who left negative reviews and send them to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to investigate the clinic. (The RCVS is a curious mention as it's a UK-only institution while the complainant herself seems to use standard American English in her complaint.)
Diskin's response describes a quite different set of experienes. He states that the dog snapped at him, so he had to leave the room to get a muzzle. He told the complainant he was getting a muzzle, and he says that while the door is heavy and soundproofed he did not slam the door. The complainant challenged him regarding the muzzle and he explained the dog was trying to bite him, and when the complainant angrily denied the behavior he realized it wasn't going to work out and declined to do the surgery. He says that at that point she blew up, refused to leave, and then eventually came into the lobby screaming about him, his height, and his genitalia; he directed the front desk manager to call the cops if she didn't leave. He also includes a log entry from the day to back up his account.
There's no discussion as this is only an Investigative Division report. Without a full video it would likely be impossible to determine what actually happened here. It's possible that the complainant just blew up and is going after Diskin, but it's not uncommon to read complaints where veterinarians seem to be held together by the barest of threads. That said, a quick review of the lowest-ranking Google reviews of the premises does mention tales of muzzles and angry, hostile staff at the clinic.
Diskin does appear to have made a career focusing on the needs of down-and-out critters. His current bio on the PAWS The Modern Spay Neuter Clinic website gives a brief bio mentioning a stint working at the (infamous) Maricopa County Animal Care and Control. He went on to make a career of shelter medicine at the Arizona Humane Society (responsible for producing several veterinary board members!) and then ended up launching this spay-and-neuter clinic.
| Source: | April 4, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Jessica Creager |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Craig Nausley | Aye |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Melissa Thompson | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | 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.