by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - Dr. Joel Joseph will be allowed to continue to practice veterinary medicine in Guam despite an emotionally charged hearing last night of the Guam Allied Board of Health Examiners.

Dr. Joseph is accused of being an imminent threat to the community's public health and safety.

Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Abrams argued that Dr. Joseph's license be summarily suspended based on several allegations such as violating a court order for Dr. Joseph not to use an x-ray machine and prescribe controlled substances, breaching a contract in Fiji, allegedly committing fraud by indicating a wrong breed of dog that was transported to Minnesota, and operating on a wrong leg of a dog and still charging the customer. Dr. Joseph is represented by Attorney David Lujan.

Abrams said, "If you're waiting for an example of what constitutes an imminent threat to the community of Guam, I'm telling you, you're going to wait a long time whatever else you think about this order for summary suspension you will not in your life time I can safely predict see a more appropriate decision to render that order of summary suspension."

Lujan said, "The extent that Mr. Abrams goes you know in, you know, the examples he comes up with a lot of them just have absolutely nothing to do with you know his ability to practice veterinary medicine safely...as you can see as Mr. Abrams speaks he's speaks of venom and disdain and hatred for this man."

Abrams said, "I don't hate Dr. Joseph at all - I find him disgusting and I find him a quintessential example of a license that has violated the terms of his license."

The vote not to suspend was four to one, but again an evidentiary hearing will be held in the future regarding the fate of Dr. Joseph's license.