Man who performed C-section on French bulldog, killing her and two puppies, has been sentenced
TAVARES — A judge has sentenced a man to 29 ½ months in prison for performing a C-section on a French bulldog — killing both her and two puppies — and practicing veterinary medicine without a license.
Frankie H. Rivera, 36, performed the operation for the dog’s owner, Larry Colon, who held the dog down on a table, according to court records. The operation was videotaped by his 15-year-old daughter, who intended to show it on TikTok. Other minors were also present.
Colon, 53, said he paid his friend $650 to perform the operation on Feb. 9, 2021.
In the video, which authorities said is "hard to watch," the dog shakes and squirms in pain, indicating that she is not completely sedated.
Colon later told a veterinarian that he was trying to save money and knew it was not what should have been done, according to the arrest affidavit.
Ricci May, DVM, of St. Charles Veterinarian Hospital, concluded that the incident caused “unjust cruelty and suffering due to unethical medical services performed,” according to the affidavit.
The veterinarian said the cause of death was likely “septic shock secondary to contamination and additional fetuses left in the uterus due to non-sterile surgery performed by unlicensed individual with medical care and diagnostics that do not meet minimum requirements to be safe for the patient.”
The doctor urged Colon to have the surviving puppies examined by a vet immediately.
The next day, on Feb. 10, when investigators questioned Colon, the surviving puppies still had not been examined by a veterinarian, according to the affidavit.
Circuit Judge James Baxley imposed the sentence on Feb. 9 after Rivera pleaded no contest.
The police report said Colon and Rivera have been Facebook friends since 2017, and that his cover photo is of the dog that Rivera uses for stud service.
Rivera also faces five years of probation after his release.
Colon faces the same charges: seven counts of aggravated animal cruelty and one count each of conspiracy to commit aggravated animal cruelty and practicing veterinary medicine without a license. No trial date has been set for him.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Lake County courts: Punishment for man who killed dog with C-section?
