Hudson Valley Veterinarian Accused Of Animal Cruelty

ELMSFORD, NY — A Westchester County veterinarian was accused of cruelty to animals, assault and faking a vaccination certificate.

The SPCA Westchester said Friday that veterinarian Javier Diaz, 46, the owner of Main Street Animal Hospital in Elmsford, was charged with second-degree forgery, a felony, and third-degree assault and six counts of animal cruelty, misdemeanors.

An investigation of the hospital, located at 33 E. Main St., was conducted by the SPCA Westchester's Humane Law Enforcement Unit and the Elmsford Village Police Department with the assistance of the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.

The agencies found that, between April 9 and April 27, Diaz gave a rabies vaccination certificate and charged a pet owner without actually administering the state-required vaccination, authorities said, leading to the forgery charge.

Police said Diaz also physically abused pets that were brought into the animal hospital on six occasions.

Authorities said the veterinarian hit a 2-month-old kitten on the head with a dog's nail clipper and then jammed the clipper into the kitten's mouth, causing it to suffer a cut to its gum and palate.

Diaz is also accused of punching a Shiba Inu dog in the ribs, and twisting a Labrador retriever's front paw and then jabbing it in the ribs. Police said he then kicked the lab in the ribs.

Investigators said Diaz, while treating a three-legged senior German Shepherd Dog, kicked the animal in the chest and twisted and pulled the dog's ear. That caused the dog to jerk its head backward striking a veterinary assistant who was holding the dog in place.

The assistant suffered a bloody nose and pain in her head and neck, police said.

Additionally, Diaz was accused of punching a Chihuahua to make it stop crying and choking a Shih Tzu until it was unconscious, authorities said.

Shannon Laukhuf, executive director of SPCA Westchester, urged anyone who suspected their pet was harmed while in Diaz's care to call the SPCA's 24-hour animal cruelty hotline at 914-941- 7797.

"We are absolutely sickened by the abuse these animals suffered at the hands of Javier Diaz, DVM," she said. "Veterinarians take an oath to protect animal health and welfare, not to cause pain and misery."

Diaz was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in the Elmsford Village Court.