Report: 2 arrested after video shows illegal C-section performed on dog

LAKE MARY, Fla. - Two men have been arrested on animal cruelty charges after investigators said they performed an illegal Caesarean section on a French Bulldog that later died.

According to court documents, Larry Colon paid Frankie Huertas-Rivera $650 to perform the C-section inside Colon's Lake County home.  Colon and Huertas-Rivera are not licensed to perform the surgery, according to investigators.

The incident was recorded by Colon's 15-year-old daughter and posted on the social media platform TikTok.  The video shows Colon holding down the dog, named Lyla, while Huertas-Rivera cuts her open. Documents state that Lyla's body "shakes and contracts while she squirms in pain with her head thrashing back and forth which give the appearance that she is not completely sedated."

Colon later brought the dog to St. Charles Veterinarian Hospital in Davenport, "dead on arrival," according to documents. Efforts were made to resuscitate the animal but were unsuccessful. A veterinarian stated that the cause of death was, in part, the result of septic shock "due to non-sterile surgery performed by unlicensed individual with medical care and diagnostics that do not meet minimum requirements to be safe for the patient."

The deceased dog had two unborn puppies still inside it, investigators said, which was also believed to have contributed to the dog's death.

Colon stated that the C-section was done inside his home because he was trying to save money on veterinary bills.

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