New Jersey Woman Sold Sick Puppy, Illegally Provided Medicines To It, Charged

A New Jersey woman who sold a sick puppy to a customer while falsely claiming to be a member of an animal rescue group was arrested and charged after she illegally prescribed medication to treat the animal, authorities said Tuesday.

Dawn Abrams, 46, of Shamong, was arrested on Nov. 13, two weeks after deputies with the New Jersey State Police received a complaint from a person who said the puppy fell ill after it was purchased from the woman. An investigation revealed that Abrams sold the Westie/Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy mix outside of a pet store in Lumberton Township while posing as a member of a rescue group, New Jersey State Police said in a statement.

When the customer informed Abrams that the puppy was sick, she provided medication claiming that she obtained it after consulting a veterinarian. The medication contained no "veterinary information or dosage instructions," authorities said.

Detectives said Abrams was earlier associated with an animal rescue group, but the organization cut ties with Abrams more than a year prior to the sale. However, Abrams continued to represent herself as a member of the organization, police said in the release.

Abrams was charged with impersonation, unlicensed practice of medicine and unlawful distribution of prescription drugs following a hearing in Burlington County Superior Court.

The puppy, which was 2 months old at the time of its sale, has now fully recovered.

In a related incident, two people allegedly performed an illegal neutering procedure on a dog at a makeshift animal hospital in South Florida two years back. The American Bulldog died two days later from "complications resulting from an unsterile surgical procedure," police said at the time. Sophia Gonzalez, 40, was arrested in connection with the incident. it was not known if the other person was also arrested.