Montclair Woman Ran Unlicensed Vet Clinic, Prosecutors Allege

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Montclair woman has been accused of running an unlicensed veterinary clinic in Totowa, authorities announced Monday.

Alia Muslih, 39, was arrested without incident on Friday, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.

On the day of her arrest, authorities carried out a search warrant at the Totowa Animal Hospital at 140 Furler Street. Those at the scene included the Passaic County Prosecutors Office, the Totowa Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Division of Consumer Affairs. Animal control officers from Paterson and Clifton were also present.

Prosecutors released the following statement on Monday:

“The clinic, named Totowa Animal Hospital, was run out of Seven Star Pet Resort. Alia Muslih, who ran both Totowa Animal Hospital and Seven Star Pet Resort created and reinforced a false impression that she was a licensed veterinarian. The New Jersey Board of Veterinary Medicine indicates that Muslih is not a licensed veterinarian, and that Totowa Animal Hospital is not a licensed veterinary clinic.”

Muslih was charged with theft by deception (second degree), corporate misconduct (second degree), animal cruelty (third degree) and unlicensed possession of prescription drugs (second degree).

Following her first court appearance on Saturday, Muslih was released on pre-trial monitoring pending the disposition of the charges against her, on the condition that she is restrained from returning to 140 Furler Street in Totowa, prosecutors said.

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