Collier County, FL – A Florida man, who posed as a veterinarian, has been arrested and charged after he performed a c-section on a pregnant dog, killing her. According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, 61-year-old Osvaldo Sanchez is charged with animal abuse and practicing veterinary medicine without a license following an investigation by the Animal Cruelty Investigations Alliance.

Detectives were alerted to the incident after learning that a six-year-old Chihuahua named Sugar died after Sanchez performed surgery on her in mid-May.

In a release, the authorities said:

Sanchez came to their home to examine Sugar and performed a C-section and spay procedure on the dog in his mobile office, a converted ambulance. He removed a stillborn puppy during the procedure. Sanchez charged Sugar’s owners $600 for the procedure.

The dog became ill after the surgical procedure and spent a week at a licensed veterinary hospital in “dire shape.” The release states:

On May 25 Sugar was taken to a 24-hour emergency pet hospital for an ultrasound. The doctors noted Sugar’s surgical incision was closed with string or thread and not the standard suture material which could have contributed to her infection. Sugar returned to the veterinary clinic the same day and died later that night from multiple complications from the surgery.

An actual veterinarian told detectives that Sugar likely would have survived if the surgery had been performed by a qualified veterinarian. Detectives determined that Sanchez is a licensed groomer, not a veterinarian.

Continue reading: Bucket Of Puppies Abandoned At Construction Site

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