Veterinary neglect
Matthews, NC (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Jun 30, 1999
County: Mecklenburg
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: William Ashley Caudle, DVM
A veterinarian who sold his Matthews clinic late last year has admitted to mistreatment of animals under his care and surrendered his license for up to three years, according to the N.C. Veterinary Medical Board.
But Dr. William A. Caudle said he didn't fight the allegations for financial reasons and because he is already retired. Caudle, of Charlotte, had been a veterinarian since June 1968. He sold his practice, the Plantation Animal Clinic, in late 2002 and then retired.
On April 1, Caudle signed a consent order admitting to allegations being investigated by the Veterinary Medical Board. The incidents happened between 1999 and 2001. Among them:
• He knew an employee punched and kicked several animals on more than one occasion, and he failed to correct that behavior.
• He knowingly administered inappropriate, incorrect, substituted or diluted vaccines to patients.
• Blood taken from animals for the purpose of heartworm testing was discarded without being tested.
• He allowed non-veterinarian clinic employees to administer vaccines without supervision and to perform other medical treatments not allowed by law.
In a statement Caudle released to The Observer on Friday, he said: "The recent accusations were made by former employees. Since I have already retired, the reason for accepting the board's sanctions and pleading no contest to the allegations was entirely a financial decision. The process for selling the practice and my retirement had begun two years ago based solely on personal health issues."
In the consent order, Caudle agreed to pay a $10,000 penalty and $2,000 in reimbursement costs to the medical board. He also agreed to have his license suspended for three years, but would be allowed to practice after the first year if he follows certain guidelines.
Carolyn Horne, who said Caudle treated her animals for more than 30 years, said he was the finest veterinarian she's ever known. She called the allegations against him "garbage."
"I'm a huge animal lover. I would know if anything was done wrong to my animals," said Horne, who has currently 12 dogs. "I trust him completely."
Julie DeSmith, a former employee who said she reported mistreatment of animals to the state, said Friday that she stands by her allegations.
According to Mecklenburg court records, Caudle was not charged criminally in connection with any of the allegations. He is no longer associated with Plantation Animal Clinic, on Weddington Road in Matthews References« NC State Animal Cruelty Map
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