Man charged with practicing veterinary medicine without a license

The investigation showed that the defendant not only committed intrusion by illegally practicing veterinary medicine in Puerto Rico, but was also negligent and failed to provide minimal and responsible care for pets, resulting in various injuries, constant suffering and, in some cases, even death.

By The Star Staff

The island Justice Department’s Economic Crimes Division filed charges on Monday against Erwin Cruz Jiménez for posing as a veterinarian and causing the death of several pets in the municipality of Carolina.

Justice Secretary Domingo Emanuelli Hernández, who announced the filing of charges, said an investigation revealed that Cruz Jiménez knowingly practiced veterinary medicine without a license and examined, diagnosed, administered medications, and even performed surgery on the pets of at least six owner victims.

The investigation showed that from 2020 to 2022, the defendant not only committed intrusion by illegally practicing veterinary medicine in Puerto Rico, but was also negligent and failed to provide minimal and responsible care for pets, resulting in different injuries, constant suffering and, in some cases, even death. Officials said Cruz Jiménez operated two clandestine clinics that he maintained in Carolina, and from his home.

The investigation was led by Economic Crimes prosecutors Rosa Molina Pérez, Jahnny Rodríguez Malavé and Elimaris Rivera Martínez along with agents Carlos Coll Escudero and Eidel Alvarado, who are assigned to the Animal Welfare and Protection Unit of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

Prosecutors Molina Pérez and Rodríguez Malavé filed 11 charges against Cruz Jiménez, which include animal abuse, aggravated negligence, intrusion, and practicing veterinary medicine without being duly authorized by the Board of Veterinary Doctors of Puerto Rico, under articles 4(a) (1), 5(a) and 18 of the Animal Welfare and Protection Act and the Puerto Rico Law on the Practice of Veterinary Medicine.

“At the Department of Justice, we condemn crimes against animals. They have become part of the family nucleus of citizens,” Emanuelli Hernández said. “Many times, those who abuse an animal are also prone to commit violence against another human being. The Department of Justice prosecutes this type of crime with rigor and vehemence. Anyone who practices veterinary medicine without a license commits a crime and puts at risk the lives of living beings protected by the laws in our legal system. Therefore, they will have to face justice. We hope that cases like this will serve as a deterrent to anyone who violates the rights of animals on the island.”

Judge Orlando Puldón Gómez of the Carolina Court of First Instance found cause for arrest on all charges filed by the Prosecutor’s Office and set bail at $22,000.