Woman's dog dies in care of man who pretended to be a vet, police say

A Florida man is facing multiple charges after a woman accused him of pretending to be a veterinarian and refusing to return her dog after the animal died under his care.

Kenneth D. Wade Jr., 33, was arrested on Thursday and charged with grand theft and practicing veterinary medicine without a license, according to court documents filed in Leon County.

Wade was released under the condition that he stay away from the victim and refrain from posting online about offering veterinarian services, court documents show. He also can’t have any animals.

As of Friday afternoon, no attorney had been assigned to Wade’s case yet, according to the Leon County Clerk of Court’s office.

Woman reached out to man for more cost-effective treatment

The investigation began when a woman called the Tallahassee Police Department on August 27, 2023 and said a man refused to return her dog, a pit bull named Gucci. She showed police proof that she bought the dog in February 2021.

When her dog became sick in August 2023, the woman took the dog to Quincy Animal Hospital. There, medical professionals told her the dog had a stomach obstruction that would have to be passed through a bowel movement or through surgery. 

The dog's owner said it was too pricey so she looked into other options. A friend told her to contact Wade, who went by PitGod Wade on social media and sometimes posted about his work with animals.

The dog’s owner reached out to Wade and explained the issues her dog was having. Wade said he could help her for $350 total but she had to pay $175 up front. She paid and took her dog to Wade's home on Aug. 17, 2023. She dropped the dog off with a kennel, food bowls and a leash. 

"They entered the apartment and noticed there were other healthy, happy dogs there," a warrant read. "(The owner) did not have any concerns of leaving her dog with Wade."

Wade told the woman he would give her updates on her dog and eventually said the dog was suffering from parvo disease, an infection that can lead to lethargy, loss of appetite and other symptoms in dogs, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dog owner thought man was dodging her calls

As the days passed, Wade told the woman her dog was eating and progressing well, but then on Aug. 23, 2023, he told her things had changed. He said he was taking the dog to the veterinary facility he worked at and planned to put the dog on life support.

The woman kept trying to contact Wade to no avail. When he finally did get back to her, he told her the dog had miscarried. The dog's owner said the first facility she took the dog to, Quincy Animal Hospital, did a full exam and never told her the dog was pregnant. She was puzzled because her dog hadn't been around any males, the warrant read.

The dog's owner asked Wade to send her photos or videos so she could see the dog. He agreed to send the photos or videos but didn't. As the dog's owner kept trying to contact him, he did not respond, making her think he was avoiding her calls.

The dog’s owner went to Wade’s house on Aug. 27, 2023 but the dog was not there. Wade told her the dog was at the veterinary facility where he worked but did not tell her which facility he worked at.

Getting police involved to get her dog back

After Wade told the woman he was going to get her dog from the clinic, he texted her to say the dog had died. He sent her a video of the dead dog as proof. 

"Wade was claiming he couldn't talk as he was having to fill out paperwork and deal with the clinic," a responding officer wrote in the warrant.

The officer later went to Wade’s home with the dog’s owner to speak with Wade but his girlfriend opened the door and said he was not there. Wade eventually started to speak to the officer via his doorbell camera.

According to the officer on site, the dog's owner and the officer asked Wade multiple times where the dog was. He finally told them the dog was at Oakwood Animal Hospital. The officer also asked Wade how he diagnosed the dog with parvo disease but Wade couldn't give him a straight answer. 

Man admitted he buried dog on family property

The case was assigned to a detective who spoke to the dog's owner. Wade told the detective that people often come to him when they can’t afford veterinary care.

He said he specializes in artificial insemination and dog breeding, but denied any wrongdoing. The detective went to Oakwood Animal Hospital, where Wade said he worked. Staff at the hospital told the detective that Wade does not work there.

The detective also spoke to the previous doctor who treated the dog at Quincy Animal Hospital who said it was unlikely that the dog had parvo.

The detective also followed up with Wade, who said he was waiting for the dog's owner to come pick the animal up but she took too long, so he buried it on his family's property in Gadsden County. He also admitted he did not work at Oakwood Animal Hospital. 

He also admitted that he had taken the dog to his friend's house for treatment. There, the dog was treated with a machine that checks the dog's pulse, Wade told the detective. 

Man posted about working with animals on social media

During the investigation, the detective found that Wade posted about parvo medicine and claimed he made it himself.

"It's sold to every veterinarian clinic in 30 states already now," Wade posted, adding that he has been speaking at seminars.

Wade was known to share stories about his work online. On June 11, he shared a screenshot where someone thanked him for helping their mother with her dog.

“I be seeing so many clients a day I don’t be knowing who is who but I had the honor of fixing one of my classmates mom two dogs and didn’t even know it,” he wrote.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her atsdmartin@usatoday.com.