Community Corner
Vineyard Veterinarian Resigns State Post, His Ethics Under Fire
According to Fox Boston, Martha's Vineyard veterinarian Dr. Steven Atwood was asked to step down from his position as chair of the Massachusetts Board of Veterinarians and state officials are looking into complaints against him.
At the state's request, a well-known Martha's Vineyard veterinarian has resigned his position as chair of the Massachusetts Board of Veterinarians, which licenses and disciplines vets statewide, according to a report from MyFoxBoston.com.
Although he said it was because he had been on the board longer than term limits allow, Dr. Steven Atwood is also suspected of unethical behavior here on the Island: Atwood was accused in 2006 of taking advantage of an elderly, alcoholic woman with dementia, who wrote him several large checks totaling $56,000 that he said in court were "gifts made in appreciation of his friendship and history of providing veterinary care" for the West Chop woman's dogs, Fox reports.
While the judge in the case did not find Atwood responsible, he did say that Atwood's behavior could be seen as "sinister," according to the report. A state licensing official told Fox that records of complaints against Atwood are being reviewed.
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