"Nazi" veterinarian in Connecticut?

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In the 1970s we took our two cats to this man to have them fixed/neutered.
It was pouring down rain when we arrived, so he invited us inside.
We later told friends what we had seen and they just laughed us off.

http://articles.courant.com/2000-04-17/news/0004170289_1_marble-nazi-hospital

What's the story behind the mansion on Silver Street in Middletown?

The 2-acre property behind the wrought iron gates at 62 Silver St. was the home and practice of veterinarian George Bitgood, who died in April 1998 at the age of 93.

Bitgood, whose father ran a dog hospital in New London, moved to Middletown in 1935 to take over a practice from his ailing uncle, Ellsworth Bitgood.

With his wife, Muriel, at his side (she died in 1993), Bitgood had legendary skills as a veterinarian and was known to never turn away an animal. But his methods were eccentric; he seldom took appointments, for instance. Bitgood charged far less than other vets charged, and he usually examined the animals on a well-worn cement bench outside the hospital in the front of the property.

Cases that required more than a shot or prescription medication were treated in the hospital. Its examining room was adorned with marble counters and sinks with gold- plated faucets, a chandelier, statuary, a marble floor and World War II and Nazi memorabilia. The marble floor was installed in the early 1980s.

Bitgood's predeliction for collecting Nazi artifacts led some people to surmise that Bitgood espoused the Nazi cause. He didn't, said his daughter, Beverly Bitgood. ``He was eccentric,'' she said.

The home originally stood north of its present location, but had to be moved when Route 9 was built. The ornate European statues still adorn the front yard, aging but still- elegant columns from Middletown's former city hall still flank the wrought iron gate.

The home and hospital are quiet these days. The trustee for the property is Bitgood's son-in-law, James Champion.