Vet subjected dogs to ‘chronic and prolonged neglect’ – Telegraph

She faces a further investigation from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

They found Happy, a shih-tzu, and Millie, a cocker spaniel, had not been groomed for at least six months and the weight of their mangled coats caused them discomfort and made it difficult for them to walk.

Miss Vockert, 55, a vet of 19 years and director of Ark Aid Veterinary Centre in Bournemouth, Dorset, pleaded guilty to the RSPCA charges of failing to protect the dogs from pain, suffering, injury and disease by not adequately grooming them.

Vockert, from Sopley near Christchurch, Dorset, faces a further investigation from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons which could see her barred from practicing.

When officers went to Vockert’s home they found it to be filthy with a strong smell of ammonia.

Although Vockert wasn’t there, the officer spotted another dog, Millie, with severely matted fur.

She told officers she only groomed her dogs every six months because they didn’t like being groomed, however the court was told by two expert vets believed there was at least nine months of growth to Happy’s coat.

Chris Devlin, a vet who examined Happy after he was seized from Vockert, said the dog had been subjected to ‘chronic and prolonged neglect’ as his whole body was matted and he was extremely smelly.

Vockert, who is from Germany, originally trained as a medical doctor but retrained as a vet in 1996 before setting up her own practice in Bournemouth in 2008.

Magistrates in Bournemouth fined her £620 plus costs of £362 and refused to return Happy to her, but said disqualification would have a ‘disproportionate effect’ on her life.

Matthew Knight, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told the court: “When an RSPCA officer visited Miss Vockert’s house she said it was filthy and there was a strong smell of ammonia that made her cough and her eyes sting.

“It’s not acceptable to leave coats to degenerate to this level. She was aware of this.

As a veterinary surgeon she should have known better and she should have done something about it.”

Stephen Barnfield, defending, said: “Miss Vockert is a successful veterinary surgeon.

She runs her practice alone, seven days a week and never takes time off.

“The small proportion of her life not looking after animals professionally is spent looking after a large number of rescue dogs who would all have died had she not taken them in.

“This was not willful neglect or even careless neglect but misjudgement and she accepts the decision not to groom them was wrong, but it was made with the best intentions.

“She cares for all her dogs – walking them three times a day, worming them every three months and all the other dogs go to the groomers on an eight-weekly cycle.”

Speaking after the case, RSPCA officer Patrick Bailey said: “I think the right decision was made.

It’s good for the dog not to have any further upheaval. He’s happy and settled in his foster home.