SALINAS, Calif- A man who the SPCA says has already mutilated 4 puppies is believed to have cut the ears off of an 11 week old Doberman Pinscher and sewed sticks inside the puppy's ear canal.
Monterey County SPCA said that a man named Damian Maldonado is passing himself off as a licensed veterinarian and performing ear and tail cropping procedures. According to the SPCA, Maldonado offers the following services, many of which are illegal without a veterinary license: general consultations, vaccinations, deworming, general surgeries, supplements, accessories, vitamins, artificial insemination, stud services, and puppy sales.
Ear cropping is a controversial surgical procedure where parts of a dog's ears are removed in order for the ear to stand erect and requires a skilled veterinarian and owners willing to provide follow-up care.
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Most recently Maldonado is suspected of cropping the ears and tail of a Doberman Pinscher puppy. The dog's owner said that Maldonado did the surgery in the owner's living room on a plastic folding table. Maldonado allegedly placed sticks 1 ½ to 2" inside the puppy's ear canal to hold the puppy's ear up, sewed the cuts with fishing line, and wrapped tape directly on the open wounds.
After seeing the original story on the news, the Doberman puppy's owner contacted the SPCA. SPCA Humane Officers escorted the owner to a licensed vet so the puppy could be professionally treated.
The licensed veterinarian said that the ears were not cropped by a trained vet, that there was not enough ear cartilage left to support the ears correctly, and that the tail was cropped too closely to the puppy's body. Luckily, the problem was discovered before severe infection could set in. The puppy is now recovering on pain medication and antibiotics.
The SPCA first learned of Maldonado after someone called them about two pit bull puppies whose ears were infected after their owner got their ears cropped.
The puppies, now known as Frankie and Anna, are safe at the SPCA but when they were found they were in a lot of pain and their wounds were infected. The owner said he paid Maldonado $100 per puppy to perform the procedure in the backyard on a makeshift table using fishing line as suture material, said the SPCA.
Maldonado is described as a Hispanic adult male, weighing 200-210 lbs, and 5'8" to 5'10" in height. His business card states that he operates "El Cartel Bully Kennels" and provides veterinary medical services. The SPCA for Monterey County is offering a $1000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction.
If you have any information about this case or if you and your pet have been victims of Maldonado, please contact The SPCA at 831-373-2631 or 422-4721 x213. All calls are completely confidential.
