| Complaint: | Complaint 22-127 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Scot Diskin |
| Premises: | PAWS The Modern Spay Neuter Clinic |
The complainant says that her dog went to Diskin and things didn't go well. The dog was scared but she says he immediately wanted her to muzzle the dog. We're also told that he tightened the muzzle so tight it was pushing into the back of the dog's neck. It's also alleged that the dog wasn't getting on the scale fast enough so Diskin dragged the dog onto it by the collar. The dog is now limping and won't even put her paw on the floor; we're told the dog is constantly crying.
Diskin's response begins by making light fun of the complainant's unique truck, a taxidermy service. They were unable to control the dog, so they had to "sacrifice an exam room" and then proceeded with the pet. He states that the dog was unsocialized to people so he wanted a muzzle on the dog; he notes that he secured the muzzle properly. We're told that he bent down and picked up the dog onto the scale because the scale is slightly off the ground, but that at no time did the dog show any sign of pain. The dog is also said to have walked out of the clinic without a problem. He says that the next day the complainant called the office asking for the name of a supervisor, but that the complainant never mentioned anything about limping. The following day the complainant called and reported a limp, but they referred to a full-service veterinarian that the complainant couldn't afford (the spay/neuter was paid for by a rescue group).
He believes this entire complaint is the result of a campaign by the complainant in 22-100; he also says that the complainant in this case left a bad review and then took it down, so he would like the board to look into whether she actually pinned the blame on the wrong guy. He concludes that "in the future, my hope is neither the Board nor I are inundated with unsubstantiated complaints that do not address what is the focus of the board, the practice of veterinary medicine." (The complainant, of course, could be lying, but either way, the content of the complaint certainly seems to address "the practice of veterinary medicine.")
The Investigative Committee doesn't appear to have investigated very hard on this one. They said that they were satisfied with Diskin's explanation of what happened. They also said that the complainant called the following day (which is true) and that she didn't mention the dog limping (apparently relying on the premises' own records as neither the complainant nor Diskin showed up for the hearing); even if Diskin's account is to be believed, she called up and asked for his name and the name of his boss, which certainly doesn't sound like a happy customer even if limping wasn't explicitly mentioned. The Committee said if the dog had really been hurt it would have been obvious when the dog got home if not at discharge (again, we don't know much, so who's to say if it was or wasn't)?
It's certainly quite possible that this was a frivolous complaint. On the other hand, it does suggest a novel strategy in dealing with the veterinary board and problematic vets: When filing a complaint, find all the other people with similar experiences regarding the same vet for the past three years, then saturate the board with those complaints. They're still not going to do anything about it, but it's one of the first steps toward a better world where somebody else will do something about it.
| Source: | October 10, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Scot Diskin | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Absent |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | November 11, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| 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 | Absent |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| 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.