William Baird, the owner of Great South Vets in south Auckland, has been stood down for nine months over his conduct towards a junior vet.

An Auckland veterinarian has been stuck off for professional misconduct for the second time.

William Baird, who owns Great South Vets in Papatoetoe, had his certificate suspended for "aggressive and intimidating behaviour" by the New Zealand Veterinary Council.

In a decision released on Friday, the council found Baird acted inappropriately towards a junior member of staff on several occasions between 2013 and 2015.

During one incident, he yelled at the junior vet and repeatedly hit a clipboard against the table while she was in the middle of performing surgery.

Another incident involved Baird trying to convince her that animals did not feel pain.

"When she strongly disagreed with this, Dr Baird became 'very heated, he got right in my face and yelled that drug companies sponsor the research that alleges animals require pain relief in order to make money'," the decision read.

Several other colleagues confirmed the account to the Veterinary Council.

​When the council began investigating his conduct, he was uncooperative, a statement said.

"The established misconduct presented a bleak picture of the way in which Dr Baird conducted himself with colleagues and clients in the course of his practice as a veterinarian," Veterinary Council registrar Iain McLachlan said.

It was decided that a nine-month suspension of Baird's registration was necessary to protect the public interest.

"An order of suspension sends a strong message to the public and the veterinary profession, including young graduates, that Dr Baird's conduct is not acceptable under any circumstances and will not be tolerated," McLachlan said.

"We at the council have a duty to make sure that all vets in New Zealand keep to the high standard of the profession, in every aspect of their work."

This was not the first time Baird has had his vet certificate suspended.

In 2007, the United Kingdom's Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons removed him from its register for a year over an incident relating to a dying dog.

He was found to have refused to attend the distressed and dying 14-year-old german shepherd, named Cassie, at the home of her owners; "when he knew, or ought to have known, that the visit was necessary".

He told a colleague: "I am not going to do a visit. I don't give a stuff. If you want to go, you go", the committee said.

In the end, Baird accepted that his performance fell far short of that which was to be expected, the committee said, and he regretted his refusal to attend the house call and treat the dog.

He was reinstated in September 2008.

McLachlan said if Baird returned to practising as a veterinarian after his suspension, the NZ Veterinary Council would place conditions on his practice for two years.

Baird would also be required to complete training in human resources and anger management skills and take part in a mentoring programme.

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