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Sources: Investigators Eye Dogs Burned At Ridgefield Park Animal Hospital

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. -- Bergen County authorities were investigating instances of dogs being burning during treatment at the Ridgefield Park Animal Hospital, Daily Voice has learned.

Ridgefield Park Animal Hospital veterinarian Paul Kim.

Ridgefield Park Animal Hospital veterinarian Paul Kim.

Photo Credit: Cecilia Levine
The Ridgefield Park Animal Hospital

The Ridgefield Park Animal Hospital

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Officials at the Bergen County SPCA said they couldn't confirm or deny the report.

Under scrutiny, sources said, is how Dr. Paul Kim handled the dogs who were burned at the animal hospital.

Daily Voice reported cases of two dogs whose owners said were burned by Kim.

The first case reported was Cooper, an English bulldog who suffered burns from a heating pad during ACL surgery in January. The dog had been treated by the hospital's other doctor, Claire Park, for skin allergies three times in 2017.

Cooper's owner returned to the hospital days after surgery showing Kim new irritations, which he treated as more allergies. Weeks later, Repoles noticed the irritations were blistering and bleeding, prompting her to get a second opinion from another vet, who diagnosed them as burns.

The second case was Harley, a Rottweiler who also had ACL surgery in March. His owner Bobby Lombardo made sure to check for a burn on his dog immediately after the surgery, and found one that same day on Harley's right hip.

Two weeks before surgery, Harley was checked by doctors at the RPAH for irritation on her neck.

In 2014, CBS reported that the SPCA found 40 German shepherds being kept in "cramped, crowded and inhumane conditions" at the Ridgefield Park Animal Hospital. Kim on Wednesday declined to comment on the incident, saying only that it was a misunderstanding.

The SPCA is authorized under state law to investigate and prosecute alleged acts of animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect throughout the county.  

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