A man who posed as a veterinarian and operated an unlicensed after-hours veterinary clinic in Van Nuys was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years probation, the City Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Hector Antonio Menjivar, 52, pleaded no contest to one count of unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine. He was also ordered to perform 500 hours of community service and attend 16 sessions of animal-cruelty counseling, according to the City Attorney’s Office.
He is scheduled to surrender Oct. 16 to begin serving his jail sentence.
“My office takes very seriously protecting the safety and welfare of animals,” City Attorney Mike Feuer said. “This conviction sends a strong message that those who would place our pets in danger will be held accountable. I urge all residents to be vigilant in only taking pets to licensed vets.”
According to the City Attorney’s Office, a woman took her sick cat to the Holiday Humane Society in Van Nuys in December 2013 after being instructed by Menjivar to bring the animal to the clinic after 6 p.m. He introduced himself to the woman as a doctor and performed surgery on the cat, which died later that night. He charged the woman $300 in cash, according to city prosecutors.
An undercover state investigator posing as a customer contacted Menjivar in December 2014 and made an appointment to bring in her dog, which was not sick, according to the City Attorney’s Office. Menjivar again instructed her to bring in the animal after business hours, introduced himself as a doctor and prescribed pills for an infection, prosecutors said.
—City News Service