Hosket known as caring, generous veterinarian in Greene County

The apparent suicide of beloved veterinarian Dr. Charles Scott Hosket has shocked the Greene County community.

Hosket was found dead Thursday morning in his office at his home business, Hosket Veterinary Service, 4450 U.S. 68 North, north of Yellow Springs. He was 65.

Greene County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Mike Brown said on Thursday the death appears to be from a self-inflicted gunshot.

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Hosket was known to be generous in caring for animals even when customers couldn’t pay, according to friends and family who have contacted the Dayton Daily News.

Brenda Champ, who said Hosket was her veterinarian for many years, said she continued to use him for all of her animal care needs even after moving from Springfield to Columbus six years ago.

“I would drive every month to his office because I wouldn’t change vets for nothing,” Champ said. “Scott was all out for your pet never the money. If someone needed to work out a payment arrangement, he was always willing to work with you.”

Champ said she remembers when Hosket’s office was closed for remodeling and she had a sick dog. She called him and he said “bring her right in.”

“You could call him any time, he would always answer his phone after hours,” she said.

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The news came as a shock to those who arrived for appointments at his office on Thursday, only to find Greene County sheriff’s cruisers in the driveway, deputies actively investigating the incident.

“I mean, this is so devastating. It’s hard to even talk about it,” said Pamela Davis. “We’ve lost a precious soul in the community.”

Kathy McConehea, of Yellow Springs, extended her sympathies to the Hosket family.

“All we can do is lean on each other and be supportive of them,” McConehea said.

A recent study by the American Veterinary Medical Association suggests veterinarians have bouts of mental stress and depression at a higher rate than the general population.

The study, published on the AVMA website in March 2015, is based on answers to a survey of more than 10,000 practicing veterinarians.

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The study concluded that “more than one in six (veterinarians) might have contemplated suicide since graduation.”

“Results … show that they are more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders, experience bouts of depression, and have suicidal thoughts compared with the U.S. adult population,” according to the AVMA.

The study further indicated that about 14 percent of male veterinarians, and 19 percent of female vets, have considered suicide since graduation, three times the U.S. national mean, according to the AVMA.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the death.

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