Newark Veterinary Hospital, Wilson Ave, Newark, NJ
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced today that an Essex County veterinarian agreed to permanently retire his license to practice veterinary medicine in New Jersey in order to resolve allegations that his inadequate treatment of several animals in his care led to their untimely deaths.
Ehren Seth Yablon, who owned the Newark Veterinary Hospital in Newark, allegedly engaged in gross and repeated acts of negligence, professional misconduct, incompetence, and malpractice in conduct that included treating animals in unsanitary conditions and failing to properly treat and isolate three parvovirus-positive puppies, resulting in the deaths of two puppies.
Yablon has been out of practice in New Jersey since May 2022 under an interim consent order of temporary suspension pending the outcome of the allegations against him. In a final consent order filed with the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (“Board”) today, Yablon resolved the allegations by agreeing to surrender his license to practice in New Jersey, with such surrender to be deemed a permanent retirement with no ability to practice veterinary medicine in this state in the future.
“We entrust veterinarians with the health of our beloved pets and when they fall short of professional standards, the consequences can be devastating for pet owners,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Today we are sending a message that we will hold accountable veterinarians who harm or kill animals through negligence or incompetence.”
“The alleged conduct of this licensee demonstrates an egregious lack of judgment and disregard for professional standards that pose a grave risk to any animal under his care,” said Elizabeth M. Harris, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “By ensuring his permanent retirement from practice, we are protecting the public and maintaining the integrity of New Jersey’s veterinary profession.”
In a verified complaint filed with the Board in April 2022, the State alleged Yablon kept three parvovirus-positive Husky puppies in a single kennel without providing any treatment, monitoring, food, or water. When one of the puppies died, Yablon allegedly failed to notify the owner and did not remove it from the shared kennel. Two days later, a second Husky puppy died.
In another instance, the State alleged a 7-year-old female bulldog that Yablon had been treating for a fever and bleeding issues died in his care. Yablon informed the owner that the bulldog had died during surgery, but the owner took the dog to another veterinarian to perform a necropsy, which revealed that no surgery had been performed.
Additionally, Division investigators conducting unannounced inspections of Yablon’s office observed, among other things, urine on the waiting room floor; rodent feces in the storage area; a dirty examination room with uncovered trash containers; dirty sterilization equipment; expired and improperly stored medication; and a dead cat stored in a crate on top of a freezer.
In addition to surrendering his license to practice, Yablon also agreed to the permanent retirement of his New Jersey CDS Registration which had allowed him to prescribe controlled dangerous substances in this state. Under the terms of the final consent order, Yablon is precluded from charging, receiving, or sharing in any professional veterinary services rendered by others in New Jersey and must divest himself from any current or future financial interest in or benefit derived from the practice of veterinary medicine in this state. He is also precluded from managing, overseeing, supervising, or influencing the practice of veterinary medicine in New Jersey, including testifying as an expert witness or acting as a consulting expert.
Deputy Attorney General Karen Webber, under the supervision of Professional Boards Prosecution Section Chief Doreen Hafner, within the Division of Law’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Practice Group, represented the State in this matter. Investigators with the Enforcement Bureau within the Division of Consumer Affairs conducted the investigation into this matter.
Patients who believe that they or their pets have been treated by a licensed health care professional in an inappropriate manner can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.
