UWS Vet Accused Innocent Woman Of Dog Thefts, Reports Say

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — An Upper West Side veterinarian is apologizing for implying that an innocent woman has attempted to lure dogs away from their owners in Central Park in an effort to steal the pets.

City Veterinary Care, which has its office on West 72nd St between Broadway and West End Avenue, posted a statement to its Facebook page saying the practice was not attempting to "damage someone’s reputation, but to protect neighborhood dogs," when it sent out an email warning of dog thefts in Central Park with a woman's photo attached.

The original email was sent with the subject line "**NOTICE**WOMAN SEEN STEALING DOGS IN CENTRAL PARK," and accused the woman of being caught "luring random dogs, that do not belong to her, with treats then grabbing them by the collar and attempting to leave the park," the West Side Rag first reported.

It turns out the woman in the photo is not involved in any attempted dognappings and the police aren't aware of any dog thefts in the park, the West Side Rag reported. The publication interviewed Dr. Andrew Kaplan, who owns the Upper West Side veterinary practice, and he refused to divulge his sources who claimed the woman was a dog thief.

“I’ve told you I have no other information. The take away from this is ‘be careful to watch your dogs’ and that has been accomplished," the veterinarian told the West Side Rag.

Read the West Side Rag's article here.

Patch file photo by Margo Sullivan/Patch