MANCHESTER, Conn. — A Manchester woman was charged with animal cruelty after allegedly assisting in surgery on a pregnant dog without a license, according to an arrest warrant from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
The warrant said a Connecticut Animal Control officer received a complaint in June 2023 of a surgery on a dog that was performed by an unlicensed veterinarian in Mansfield.
The veterinarian who provided the report, from the Connecticut Veterinary Center in West Hartford, said a 4-year-old female English Bulldog was taken to the emergency room, appearing severely dehydrated and weak.
The dog, named Sky, was reportedly pregnant and was in "critical" condition after a cesarean section had been performed the week before, the warrant said. The owner of the dog told the vet that one of the puppies had died, but five had survived and had to be bottle-fed due to Sky not feeling well.
The owner said she paid $600 for the surgery, which typically costs $2,000 to $4,000 if performed by a veterinarian with a license, according to the warrant.
A hole had reportedly been left in Sky's uterus after the surgery and was not closed properly, according to the warrant. The vet said the dog needed additional surgery to remove the uterus, but due to concerns of a "life-threatening" infection in the abdomen as a result of the C-section, the owner made the decision to have Sky euthanized.
According to the arrest warrant, 43-year-old Genese Martinez, who reportedly did not have a veterinary license, met with Sky's owner in April 2023. Martinez said in the warrant that she was previously a veterinarian technician and had assisted with multiple surgical procedures on animals.
Martinez helped to impregnate the dog artificially, and went to the owner's house multiple times to perform ultrasound tests, according to a statement in the warrant.
After Sky was reportedly in labor for several days without giving birth, Martinez said in the warrant that she advised the owner to go to a vet hospital for a C-section, but was told that the owner could not afford it.
To perform the surgery, Martinez said in the warrant that she took Sky to her friend "Big Black Mike" at an unknown address in Mansfield, who was reportedly an animal breeder. According to Martinez, Sky was not "doing well" and that she might have died "if not given medical treatment."
"Big Black Mike" took Sky inside a house for surgery, which Martinez said was performed on a kitchen table and that the location was "not at all sterile," according to the warrant. Wearing plastic gloves, Martinez said she assisted with the surgery only by holding the uterus and unborn puppies.
Multiple people in the home where the surgery was taking place were reportedly smoking marijuana, Martinez said.
The owner met with Martinez "several hours" after dropping the dog off at the Mansfield Drive Inn for the surgery, where she was told that one of the puppies had died. The owner paid her the $600 and was not given any medical instruction for Sky or the five puppies, according to the warrant.
Before taking her to Connecticut Veterinary Center, Sky reportedly appeared to be in pain and was "shaking non-stop" several days after the surgery, the owner said in the warrant.
Martinez said she was unaware if the dog had been given any medications during or after the surgery, and that she was unaware how the dog was sedated. She reportedly refused to give any further information, according to the warrant.
The warrant included that Martinez was also identified as a suspect on multiple separate complaints related to receiving payment for "the cutting, or cropping the ears of dogs."
Martinez was charged with Cruelty to Animals and is expected to next appear in Rockville Superior Court on Feb. 20.
The warrant did not include information as to the identity of "Big Black Mike" or whether he is facing any charges at this time.
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