A pet groomer has been accused of posing as a veterinarian and illegally performing a C-section on a small, pregnant dog that led to her death.
Osvaldo Sanchez, 61, was arrested Friday, weeks after Sugar the Chihuahua died in late May. The dog initially survived the procedure – which resulted in a stillbirth – but died a week later.
Per court documents filed in Collier County, Florida, Sanchez performed the C-section despite being untrained.
He was charged with cruelty to animals resulting in injury, suffering, and death, and practicing veterinary medicine without a license, records from Collier County’s Sheriff’s Office show.
Detectives were alerted after the six-year-old chihuahua named Sugar, who weighed just six pounds, died May 25 following a botched surgery, the sheriff’s office said.
The operation took place on May 18 after the owners noticed Sugar was having difficulty giving birth to her puppy, detective Bruce Cordivari wrote in a sworn statement.
The dog’s owners encountered Sanchez several months ago through a mutual acquaintance and were led to believe he was a licensed veterinarian, according to the affidavit. In reality, he was a licensed pet groomer with no veterinary qualifications, it said.
Sanchez arrived at their home in his mobile van, which had “Ozzy Pet Grooming” signage on it, the affidavit said.
After an initial examination, he began performing a C-section and spay procedure on Sugar in the van, according to the document.
During the operation, Sugar began to cry, leading the owner to worry about Sanchez, according to the affidavit. In response, Sanchez gave the dog an additional sedative, he said.
Sanchez removed a dead puppy, and threw it in the trashcan of his van, according to the affidavit. Then, he gave the owners two pills, one of which he said was an oral antibiotic for dogs.
However, instead, the pill was identified as a human substance instead, according to the affidavit.
Sanchez then invoiced the owners $600 for the procedures, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Sugar quickly fell ill from complications. His owners took him to their regular veterinarian on May 20, who said the dog was near death, according to the affidavit.
The scans showed that the surgical incisions appeared to be closed with string or thread, rather than the standard sterile suture material, which posed a risk of infection, it said in the affidavit.
Sugar died overnight while staying at a pet hospital in Golden Gate City on May 25. A doctor at the pet hospital told detectives that if the C-section had been performed by a qualified veterinarian, she likely would have survived.
Sanchez’s bail was set at $60,000, which was posted before his release on Saturday. He could not be reached for comment.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said in a statement published on Facebook: “Pets’ lives are at risk when unlicensed individuals perform surgery, prescribe medication, and claim to provide the necessary care.”
