A Tucson doctor convicted of animal cruelty for performing a botched surgery on a dog has been sentenced to six months of probation.
Dr. Raquel Marie Mercado Sepulveda, an obstetrician/gynecologist, was sentenced in February for felony animal cruelty and a misdemeanor of practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Several other felonies were dropped.
Animal advocates were displeased with the sentence.
“I think it’s a pretty pathetic sentence for a case this egregious,” said Steve Kozachik, director of the Pima County Animal Care Center.
Kozachik said his agency will conduct impromptu visits to assure she is doing her surgical work on people, not canines.
Generally, Kozachik said, probation follow-ups aren’t always completed in these cases because of staffing issues, but he wants Mercado Sepulveda to know that’s not going to be the case this time.
“In this case, this lady should count on us showing up unannounced because of the egregious nature of what was involved,” he said.
The criminal case started after a local vet raised concerns after treating a dog that had received a botched cesarean section, according to previous reports.
Mercado Sepulveda was eventually arrested in January 2024. A search warrant revealed that 14 dogs and three rabbits were seized from her home.
