PASSAIC CO., NJ — Three people face charges related to the illegal operation of a Passaic County veterinary hospital that resulted in the death of at least one pet dog, said the prosecutor's office.
The investigation revolves around Totowa Animal Hospital, and officials said two men conducted surgical procedures there without a licensed veterinarian on staff while a woman illegally operated the hospital. Surgical Suture
An animal owner reported that her dog had died following a routine spay appointment at the hospital in July 2021, said Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes' office. Totowa Police investigated and notified the prosecutor's "White Collar Crimes Division," which found that the hospital operated between Dec. 2020 and Aug. 2021 with no veterinarian on staff.
Officials said Alia Muslih of Montclair kept the hospital operating after the death of her husband, and allowed Yaser I. Abdel-Fatah of Buffalo, N.Y. and Marco A. Gamarrah of The Bronx to do surgeries on animals in that time period.
Muslih, 44; Abdel-Fatah, 50; and Gamarrah, 64 face multiple charges including:
The Prosecutor's Office asks anyone with additional information about these incidents to call the PCPO tip line at 1-877-370- PCPO.
The three defendants are currently on pretrial release, said Valdes' office.
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