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Case #1543 Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Cruelty to animals - vet charged
East Brunswick, NJ (US)Incident Date: Monday, Jul 12, 1999
County: Middlesex
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Howard J. Baker, DVM
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Baker was a veterinarian accused of choking, throwing and punching pets under his care.
A videotape was made by an assistant of Bakers, showing the doctor striking a Dalmation.
Baker was also accused, of grasping a cat around the neck and flailing it to its death.
Baker admitted that he only lightly slaps or taps pets and grabbed cats by the scruff of the neck to calm them. He also stated the Dalmation had tried to bite him.
Municipal Judge Emery Toth convicted Baker and ordered him to pay $3,500, attend anger management classes and perform community service.
Case UpdatesOne week after a state Superior Court judge acquitted a township veterinarian of cruelty to animals charges, his lawyers are seeking the reinstatement of his veterinary license. The eight-member board, comprising one state official, five veterinarians, and two other state residents, will meet in Newark, and Baker's appeal for reinstatement is on the meeting agenda. State officials said that the board, which is a part of the state Division of Consumer Affairs, could decide to hold a hearing on the appeal or simply grant Baker his license back. Additionally, the board could hold off comment on the issue for the time being.
Baker, a 23-year veterinarian, was convicted by an Old Bridge Municipal Court judge, and shortly thereafter the board suspended his veterinary license. Until then, he had run his Village Veterinary Hospital on Main Street in East Brunswick. Then, on April 14, 2000, state Superior Court Judge Joyce Munkacsi overturned Baker's conviction in a New Brunswick court, stating that the primary witness for the prosecution, Michelle Rokke, was biased.
Rokke, who had worked for animal rights groups prior to gaining employment with Baker, had claimed to have witnessed numerous incidents of animal abuse on Baker's part. In addition, Munkacsi accepted the testimony of James Wilson, a veterinarian who also has a law degree, who said that Baker's acts were nothing out of the ordinary. An Old Bridge Municipal Court judge had dismissed his testimony in the original trial along with that of two of Baker's employees. Baker's lawyers expressed optimism that the board would rule in their favor and reinstate Baker's license. "The September 1999 revocation of his license was based solely on the conviction," said Craig Caggiano, one of Baker's lawyers. "It's without foundation now that the conviction's been overturned."
Caggiano said Baker was simply looking forward to gaining his license back and getting back to work, but they all understand that his reputation may be stained for some time to come. "He had a clean record for 22 years, and then this happens," said Caggiano. "This is a guy who loves animals. Now, he's been out of work for several months." Caggiano said that as of now there are no plans to sue for financial restitution but that they might discuss the possibility later. | Source: The Sentinel - April 28, 2000
Update posted on Feb 19, 2006 - 1:55AM |
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