Bournemouth vet struck off over 'prolonged neglect' of two pet dogs
A Bournemouth vet has been struck off for the "chronic and prolonged neglect" of her two pet dogs.
Kerstin Vockert, 56, was director of Ark Aid Veterinary Centre and received a £620 fine for failing to meet animal welfare needs in May 2015.
RSPCA inspectors found cocker spaniel Millie and shih tzu Happy with matted fur "covered in urine and faeces".
Now the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has said she should never return to practicing as a vet.
Inspectors visited Vockert's home in Sopley, Hampshire, in September 2014 and found the dogs. When they returned the next day, Vockert had put Millie down.
Happy, who had to have an eye removed and is blind in his other eye, has since been rehomed.
'Impaired clinical judgement'
In a report the RCVS said the coats of both dogs had been in "an appalling condition" for "a prolonged period of time".
It said: "[Vockert made] a conscious decision not to groom the animals because she considered that they found the grooming process unpleasant.
"The committee considers that it was not only wrong but wholly misconceived.
"The committee is very concerned that, as a veterinary surgeon, she allowed her clinical judgement to be so impaired."
The RCVS added there was "a potential risk to animal welfare" if Vockert was ever allowed to return to practicing.
Although it said it had taken into account her "long and unblemished career" prior to neglecting her two dogs.