Man charged, accused of posing as a veterinarian and letting a dog die in his care

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray News) - Police in Florida said they have arrested a man whom they say posed as a veterinarian and treated dogs, at least one of which died in his care.

Kenneth Wade Jr., 33, is facing charges of practicing veterinary medicine without a license and grand theft.

Three people said Wade harmed or killed their dogs while they were in his care. The charges stem from claims by one of those pet owners.

Police said the investigation began in August 2023. According to Wade’s arrest report, a woman paid him $175 to treat her American pit bull terrier. A veterinarian had told her that the dog needed surgery, but she sought a lower-cost option.

The probable cause affidavit said a friend told her about Wade, who goes by “PitGod” on Facebook. The woman left her dog with him on Aug. 17.

Six days later, on Aug. 23, Wade told the woman that her dog “was no longer doing well,” arrest papers said. The woman told police she asked Wade to provide photos or videos of her dog; however, she claims he “did not provide the photos or videos as promised” and began avoiding her calls.

On Aug. 27, the woman contacted police to help her get her dog back. But later that day, Wade sent her a text message “apologizing that her dog had died,” according to the arrest report. He also sent her a short video of her dog “motionless on top of a blanket.”

According to Wade’s arrest report, the woman tried to retrieve her dog’s body from Wade, but he did not respond to her messages. He told police that “he sent messages to (the woman) to pick up her dog, but she took too long to retrieve it, so he buried it” on his family’s property in Gadsden County.

Police interviewed the veterinarian who originally examined the woman’s dog. He told police that Wade misdiagnosed her dog with having parvovirus.

“It is extremely unlikely that a vaccinated adult dog can catch parvo,” the veterinarian told the investigator.

Investigators also said Wade made false claims to the woman that he worked at an animal hospital in Tallahassee. Police contacted a staff member, who told them Wade did not work there.

A Tallahassee police spokesperson said Wade will face additional charges.