The poor German Shepherd was only three-years-old when Rafael Padilla-Marquez took his life.

It’s always important to make sure that you’re taking your dog to a good vet.

The story of Rafael Padilla-Marquez of El Paso, Texas shows just what can happen if owners aren’t careful.

Not much has been released about the circumstances facing the German Shepherd owner in late 2020.

But it’s probably fair to say that due to coronavirus, they were in a pretty bad place. Why else would they turn to Padilla-Marquez to help their dog?

They must have taken the dog to Padilla-Marquez as a last resort. After all, vet bills can be expensive, especially during tough economic times!

The owner hoped that Padilla-Marquez was going to cure their beloved dog. Instead, the man who was posing as a vet decided to inject the dog eight times with medicine.

Soon, the dog’s kidneys started failing. Eventually, the dog died as a result of those injections.

Naturally, the owner had to have been devastated.

Months passed without the police doing anything useful.

Padilla-Marquez spent months free until the authorities finally arrested him in February 2021.

Padilla-Marquez went to jail. His bond was set at $15,000. But in less than a day, Padilla Marquez was released.

This means that today, despite being a danger to other dogs, he is a free man.

It appears that only one dog died as a result of Padilla-Marquez’s actions. However, the police have learned of at least one other dog, a poodle, who he injected multiple times.

Hopefully, the justice system will finally catch up with Padilla-Marquez soon and stop him from illegally practicing veterinary care.

Stories like this show why it’s so important for pet owners to ensure that their vet is reputable.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BH83SqnBYOt/

It is possible to verify that a vet is legally qualified to practice animal care with some basic information.

Almost every state in America has a system that allows pet owners to verify their vet. To verify your vet, you will need the following information: The vet’s full name, the vet’s address, the vet’s license number.

Once you obtain this information, you should look online for your state’s license board and search for your vet on that site. You should also be able to contact the state license board by phone.

Padilla-Marquez exploited the financial struggles that people are facing during coronavirus to make a quick buck. It had tragic results. Just remember that these actions were his and his alone.

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Source: KFOX14, El Paso Times, WikiHow, Pew Research Center