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Dr. Amr Wasfi, age 75, of Bridgeport, was arrested on Thursday, Dec. 10, after police detectives executed a search warrant at Blackrock Animal Hospital located at 2877 Fairfield Ave., said Bridgeport Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald.
During the search, detectives were seeking evidence related to the recent death of a 10-week-old puppy that was admitted to the animal hospital to have a procedure to crop its ears. When the owners came to pick up their dog the next day, Wasfi, told the owners the dog had died, Fitzgerald said.
An investigation determined that the dog died of overheating due to Wasfi leaving the dog on a heating pad for an extended period.
Wasfi was taken into custody and charged on a warrant with cruelty to animals, Fitzgerald said.
He was booked at the Bridgeport Police Department and held on a $10,000 bond.
Wasfi was arrested last year on the same charge after the department received a complaint of animal cruelty from an employee of the clinic.
The employee stated she witnesses the doctor hit a kitten that was being spayed, and while the kitten was restrained and under anesthesia, she saw Wasfi strike the kitten which such force that it came free from the restraints and its intestines came out, police said.
A second complaint regarding a dog who had been brought in for a limp led to the arrest for animal cruelty, officials said.
In that case, the dog, "Monster," had been taken to the animal hospital because he had a limp. The doctor told Valentin that he had a sprain and sent him home with medicine.
When the medicine did not work, Monster went back to the clinic and his owner was told that he had a fracture of the right pelvis and needed to have surgery. The doctor told Valentin that he would have the dog back on March 7.
On that date, the doctor said he needed to keep Monster longer and would not let him see his dog.
This continued until March 25 when he demanded to see his dog and was denied again. Valentin called animal control and police who helped him remove the dog, who was almost dead, and take him to Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine for treatment.
When Monster went in to have the surgery he weighed 63.4 pounds, when they picked him up he weighed 46 pounds, had bones protruding, and stitches running along his back, police said.
This is an ongoing investigation and police are asking any other pet owner who believes they were the victims of criminal conduct by Wasfi to contact Bridgeport Police at 203-576-TIPS.
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