SPCA Charges Vet Tech Who Housed 'Euthanized' Dog For 5 Months

HOWELL, NJ — The veterinary technician who housed a dog that its owner was told had been put to sleep five months earlier has been charged with animal cruelty by the Monmouth County SPCA.

Monmouth County SPCA Chief Ross Licitra said the charge was issued against Andrea Oliveira, of Upper Freehold Township, last week.

"She has been very cooperative," Licitra said of Oliveira.

Oliveira was a veterinary technician at Briarwood Veterinary Hospital in Howell when Keri Levy brought her 15-year-old minature pinscher, Ceasar, in to the clinic in May. Ceasar had Cushing's disease, and Levy had decided to have the dog euthanized because he was suffering, Licitra said.

Licitra also provided some details that clarified aspects of the situation that before had been murky.

Levy, of Freehold Township, had taken Ceasar to Briarwood to seek a second opinion from Dr. George Menez, the veterinarian there, after another veterinarian diagnosed the Cushing's, Licitra said.

Licitra said Levy sought the second opinion from Menez, whom she had known for years, after Ceasar's veterinarian had said Levy could go through with further expensive diagnostic testing, or have Ceasar euthanized due to his advanced age.

"He was diagnosed as terminally ill," Licitra said.

After consulting with Menez, who told her the dog's quality of life was declining, Levy decided to have Ceasar put down, Licitra said.

"It's an owner's prerogative," he said, explaining that while the law requires people to provide veterinary care for their pets, they have the right to make the determination to have them euthanized when the animal has a terminal illness, such as cancer.

Licitra said Oliveira ran afoul of the animal cruelty statute because not only did she interfere with the euthanization when she convinced Menez to allow her to take Ceasar home, she also could not show any medical records that showed she had sought veterintary treatment for him while she had him.

"If she'd been able to provide vet records it would have been different," Licitra said.

Licitra said that no matter how Oliveira felt about allowing Ceasar to live out his life and die naturally, "she had no right to do that; it's not her dog."

Levy could not be reached for this article. She initially posted her story about Ceasar on Facebook on Oct. 16 but her account is no longer publicly accessible, and a telephone number for her could not be located. She has previously told other media outlets that when she decided to have Ceasar euthanized, she left the office with assurances from Menez that it would be done and received a phone call from Menez later saying the dog was "at peace," according to NJ.com.

On Oct. 16, however, she received an anonymous phone call telling her Ceasar was still alive and living with an employee of the clinic. That's when Levy contacted both the Monmouth County SPCA and Howell Township police.

Menez, who sold Briarwood to another veterinarian over the summer had intially stayed on but quit after Levy's story came to light. Oliveira, who has been fired, according to reports, brought Ceasar back to Briarwood as soon as she was contacted, Howell Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez said, where police witnessed the return of the dog to Levy.

Licitra said that when Ceasar was returned to Levy, there was noticeable weight loss. Levy's statements that Ceasar had lost 10 pounds were probably an exaggeration, he said, as minature pinschers are a small breed that typically average 8 to 10 pounds and fall into the "toy" group, according to the American Kennel Club. But he said the dog's health had definitely declined, and it was Levy's decision in consultation with the new veterinarian that led to her having him put to sleep.

He said observations that the dog appeared to be in good spirits were not an accurate measure of the dog's quality of life, because often animals will appear to be comfortable and happy until not long before they succumb to an illness.

Antunez said Monday that Howell police have not issued any charges in the incident. The euthanization fee Levy was charged was refunded by the new owner of Briarwood, he said.

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