Two Ohio veterinarians suspended for possessing banned substances
Two Ohio racetrack veterinarians who had been charged with possession of banned substances based on truck searches in 2023 have been given three-month suspensions for the violations, according to a document posted to the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit website.
Drs. Barbara Hippie and Margaret Smyth, both based at Thistledown in Ohio as part of the same veterinary practice, will serve the suspensions on a staggered basis, the document said, to ensure “that there is adequate veterinary coverage” available at Ohio tracks. The owner of the veterinary practice, Dr. Scott Shell, is currently serving a suspension in a related case through January of 2026.
Hippie will be given credit for a 25-day provisional suspension she served late in 2023 after the truck search, while Smyth will serve the full three months, HIWU said.
According to the document, which detailed a settlement between HIWU and the veterinarians without a hearing, Hippie and Smyth contended that several of the banned substances found in their truck were intended for their farm practices. The two veterinarians also contended that the supplies on the trucks were ordered and stocked by Shell.
Among the substances found on the truck were a compounded form of clenbuterol, a bronchial dilator that is strictly regulated; banned thyroid medications; and a compounded product labeled Hemo 15, which a HIWU arbitrator ruled to be a banned substance in the Shell case.
Possession of banned substances generally calls for a minimum suspension of two years for each violation.
Both Hippie and Smyth “provided credible evidence that Dr. Shell was responsible for and controlled the practice’s office and pharmacy-related operations, including directing his veterinary assistant in all ordering, purchasing, receiving, storing, and stocking of the practice’s medications and pharmacological substances,” the document said. HIWU concluded that the two vets bore a “moderate degree of fault” for the charges.
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