POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) has arrested a woman for performing unlicensed surgeries on dogs.
PCSO said detectives were informed about a package containing Xylazine that had been intercepted by U.S. Customs in New York and was addressed to a residence on North Socrum Loop Road in unincorporated Lakeland.
Xylazine is a veterinary sedative and is frequently found mixed with fentanyl.
PCSO said detectives went to the home on North Socum Loop Road and talked to Ashley Wimbrow, 35. Detectives said Wimbrow told them she was using the Xylazine to perform surgical procedures on dogs for fees ranging from $10 to $100.
Wimbrow told deputies she was doing procedures like “tail docking,” the removal of a dog's tail, and “ear cropping,” a procedure to make a dog's ears stand upright, PCSO said.
Wimbrow told detectives she did not have a license and said she didn’t know she needed one, PCSO said.
Inside the home, deputies found five dogs inside dog crates with fresh and dried feces and puddles of urine.
Wimbrow was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, animal neglect by confining the dogs to their crates without a wholesome exchange of air and practicing veterinary medicine in the state of Florida without a valid active license.
Missing St. Petersburg boater found dead in channel south of Maximo Park: PCSO
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) said Tony Le was boating with his family near channel marker 18 when he fell into the water. Witnesses attempted to locate him but were unsuccessful.
