For over 30 years I have had the honor and privilege of taking care of the cats, dogs, cows, horses, sheep (yes we have some sheep), pigs, and goats of Beaufort, Jasper, and sometimes Colleton county. Some other species such as hamsters, guinea pigs, big birds, little birds, big snakes, little snakes and turtles have been carried through our doors. I have loved almost every minute of it. However, the sadness is real when a beloved pet has to be ushered out of this world humanely when he or she can go no further. The good far outweighs the bad. Over the years my chosen profession has necessitated me to have 7 different orthopedic surgeries (thank you Dr. J). Hospital bouts with Salmonella, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Lyme’s Disease were sandwiched in there as well. None of these setbacks approached what happened this year.
In February I was charged and arrested by D.H.E.C officers for 3 violations of their code. The drugs involved were the male hormone testosterone- given back to D.H.E.C. in its entirety- and scripts for a medication to control seizures in two patients. The arrest and my picture made the front page of the Beaufort Gazette. My medical license was subsequently temporarily suspended. No indictment was ever brought down. No grand jury was ever given the case for an up or down vote. In October eight months after the arrest the charges were dismissed. In November my medical license was reinstated. Now in December I am practicing again at our Boundary Street office.
The last eight months have been very difficult. Our patients and clients had to look elsewhere for care. When clients would ask, I had no information to give other than we were all waiting on the legal system to come to a conclusion. To the clients and patients that I could not help, I am very, very sorry. We will be open 6 days per week to serve our client families. To the many, many clients who had to leave, we understand. If a family wants the type of care that we gave previously we would love to see you again. If you are happy where you are, please stay. Beaufort has many good veterinarians. Our office will offer drop off care, day boarding, boarding, grooming, and bathing in addition to our medical and surgical services. We will be in the office 7:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Come by to say hi if you would like, or call us at 843-524-2224.
I have the best job in the world. I love all of my patients and their owners (some species are still a little iffy). My profession was taken away from me for 8 months but now we can do what we love again. Please stop in at 2511 Boundary St. Our telephone number is still 843-524-2224. That number will be answered by a real human 24 hours a day. Thank you to everyone that called, sent cards, posted to social media, or just hugged me in the grocery store. I will never forget those kindnesses. A special thanks goes out to Fred Kuhn, Esq. and all of his staff at Moss, Kuhn, and Fleming. I will try to be an empathetic, good, and dedicated doctor of animals for at least another 10 years or so, the good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise (at least not too much anyway). Until then be well and be strong.
– C. Allen Henry, DVM
