Board allows Bridgeport vet, arrested twice for animal cruelty, to practice again with restrictions
A
Bridgeport veterinarian charged in two separate animal cruelty cases is
practicing again, but with permanent restrictions.
Dr.
Amr Wasfi confirmed to News 12 at Black Rock Animal Hospital that he's seeing
patients. He directed News 12 to his attorney, who has not responded to a
request for comment.
The
veterinary practice was closed in December when the state suspended Wasfi's
license following his second arrest for animal cruelty. A recent decision from
the Connecticut Board of Veterinary Medicine has allowed him to return to work.
The
ruling, obtained by News 12, stipulates that Wasfi cannot work alone and must
be under the direct, on-site supervision of another Connecticut licensed
veterinarian. He's also prohibited from performing surgery and prescribing
anesthesia.
Criminal
charges first came in 2019 after Wasfi was accused of performing harmful,
unnecessary surgery on a dog, almost killing the animal. Police arrested Wasfi
again a year and a half later after they say he left a puppy on a heating pad
overnight, causing it to overheat and die.
The
Connecticut Board of Veterinary Medicine heard allegations about those two
cases and four others before deciding to put restrictions on Wasfi's license.
The
board ruled, "Respondent's conduct fell below the standard of care for
veterinarians in Connecticut, and his conduct presents a significant risk to
the health and safety of his patients and the public."
Zilla
Cannemela, president of the animal rights group Desmond's Army Animal Law
Advocates, called the decision “horrendous.”
“I
can't believe that they're allowing him to practice at all,” she said.
Wasfi
is due back in court next week for both animal cruelty cases.