Owner Of Md. Animal Rehab Center Found Guilty In Illegal Vet Operation

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Calvert County man who operates an animal rehabilitation center on his property has been found guilty on two counts of illegal drug possession and one count of practicing veterinary medicine without a license.

In August 2015, Maryland Natural Resources received a tip about 68-year-old Ronald Gene Wexler and his facility, Orphaned Wildlife Rescue Center Inc. in Lusby.

Police, along with state wildlife veterinarians and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, performed a search of Wexler's center and found numerous injured animals, many of which they say should have been euthanized due to the extent of their injuries. Investigators said they also found an osprey that was being held in a cage that was much too small, which led to muscle atrophy.

Charging documents say Wexler performed surgery on ospreys and a black rat snake and acknowledged operating on other animals, as well. He told officers it was not cost effective to send every animal he admitted to his center to an independent veterinarian.

Police also found several drugs, such as, Oxycodone, Demerol and Fentanyl, that Wexler didn't have a license or prescription to legally possess.

Wexler, who goes by the nickname "Doc," entered an Alford plea – where the defendant pleads guilty without acknowledging fault – to practicing veterinary medicine without a license and two drug-related charges.

Judge Michelle Saunders gave Wexler a six-month sentence for the possession of a controlled substance and then suspended the sentence. She ordered Wexler to pay a $500 fine for practicing without a license and imposed three years of unsupervised probation. Another 13 counts were placed on the inactive docket, meaning that if Wexler successfully fulfills his sentence, the state may drop the charges.

The center's website says it was founded in 1990 and operates "a strict no-kill policy." It also says the center "receives and helps rescue over 1,600 animals a year with a 94% success rate due to the efforts of dedicated veterinarians and volunteers."

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