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Vet Charged With Cruelty Regains License

Bill Baber Receives Counseling, Attends Veterinary Conferences On Proper Euthanasia Practices

POSTED: 11:22 am CDT April 24, 2008
UPDATED: 1:36 pm CDT July 18, 2008

A veterinarian who sparked outrage across middle Tennessee for how he put animals to death is talking one on one about his regret.

Video: State Returns License To Controversial Vet

Dr. Bill Baber received his veterinary license back on Thursday, and he spoke with reporter Jeremy Finley, who was the first to break the story.

Baber can now become a practicing veterinarian again.

"Have I learned a lot from it? You wouldn't believe how much I've learned," he said.

Baber lost his license and was charged with animal abuse after a Channel 4 I-Team investigation last November.

Undercover video first obtained by the I-Team shows Baber putting animals to death in the Sumner County Animal Shelter by injecting them directly into the heart without sedation.

Baber's attorney on Thursday passed out documents to the Veterinary Licensing Board showing how since his suspension, Baber has attended conferences on how to properly euthanize animals.

The documents also show Baber saw a psychologist, who wrote that Baber is capable of making reasonable judgments and is free of any psychological distress.

After the board reinstated his license, Baber spoke for the first time one on one with the I-Team.

"Do you have any regret for what happened?" Finley said.

"Sure," Baber said.

"Will you immediately open up your practice?" Finley said.

"Tomorrow," Baber said.

"Do you expect this will hurt your practice at all?" Finley asked.

"Time will tell. We'll be back in business tomorrow," Baber said.

"You said inside, Bill, that you had learned a lot," Finley said.

"I'm just glad it's over with, and it's time to get back to work," Baber said.

Baber is now on probation for the next five years, which means he'll have to appear before the board every year for the next five years to give board members an update on his status.

Baber still faces several charges of animal cruelty, and no trial date has been set.


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