| Complaint: | Complaint 22-34 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Sarah Matyjaszek |
| Premises: | Chaparral Veterinary Medical Center |
The complainant states that she had already called her vet, Doctor Samantha from Southwest Vet Hospital, regarding a case of colic. She says that half an hour later she got a call from Matyjaszek that she's taking her horse to surgery. She asked who Matyjaszek even was as she'd never even heard of her, stating that she had also treated her horse without her consent. She confronted Matyjaszek about this and says that the latter became "nasty and harassing," telling her that she only had the option of surgery or euthanasia. She also notes that she would never have someone from Chaparral come out to treat her horse because they have a "bad reputation."
Matyjaszek's response states that she is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Equine Surgery at Midwestern's Equine and Bovine Center; she previously worked at Chaparral and now has a contract with them to work as a relief veterinarian in emergencies. She states that they received a call from another individual regarding the horse and she went out as the person on call. She states that she relayed information to the other individual, who then relayed them to the complainant, as she performed an exam. The complainant's son was also involved at some point and asked her to administer various treatments not appropriate for the situation.
She states that she did tell the complainant that surgery or euthanasia were the only options for the case, and that while she did medicate the horse, she only did so in order to be able to relieve suffering and examine the horse. She claims that nobody told her another vet was on the way, that the complainant was actually quite nice to her, and only had problems when she said that surgery or euthanasia are the only options. She says that the complainant is wrong that she'd never work with Chaparral because she has medical records there back in 2015 (remember that this was in 2021). She also states that in her opinion, the complainant was guilty of animal cruelty for refusing treatment and allowing the horse to die as it later did.
The Investigative Committee concluded that the complainant was likely confused about what was actually going on. They note that Matyjaszek wouldn't just show up and treat the horse; someone actually called her to come out because they were concerned about the horse's condition.
| Source: | March 3, 2022 AM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Sarah Matyjaszek | Respondent |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Roll Call: | |
| Robert Kritsberg | Aye |
| Christina Tran | Aye |
| Carolyn Ratajack | Aye |
| Jarrod Butler | Aye |
| Steven Seiler | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | April 4, 2022 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| David Stoll | Respondent Attorney |
| Proposed By: | J Greg Byrne |
| 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.