Veterinarian pleads guilty in death of bird; second doctor awaits court

HOWELL — Two township veterinarians were accused of animal cruelty following the death of a pet bird in their offices.

Dr. Mahmoud Hussein and Dr. Mohamed R. Elbanna of Howell Veterinary Clinic, Fort Plains Road, were charged on Oct. 20 with failing to provide the proper sustenance for a parrot.

The deceased conure (small) parrot, Tickles, was left in an unheated garage area of the office and subsequently died from exposure due to a drop in temperature, according to Victor Amato, chief law enforcement officer of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Amato said the bird was a staple at the veterinary clinic.

"It seems that all the customers knew Tickles. He was entertaining because he talked to everyone. Whenever the staff or a customer would use the bathroom, they walked right past the bird and he would say a word or two," Amato said.

Elbanna was the official owner of the bird and obtained a permit to keep him at the office. But even after the clinic changed hands from Elbanna to Hussein, Tickles remained— Hussein believed the parrot possessed some attraction value at the veterinary office and asked if he could keep it there, according to Amato.

According to Amato, several employees warned Hussein and Elbanna that Tickles would not survive in cold-weather conditions. However, those warnings were ignored.

Hussein did notify Howell police about Tickles' situation. The police in turn contacted animal control services, which finally notified Amato.

Amato said Hussein was charged along with Elbanna.

"They are both culpable. They both had access and they should know the parrot was not going to survive in those conditions. We found Tickles crawled under the cage newspapers, attempting to stay warm," Amato said. "This was obvious. All they had to do was move the bird at night."

Hussein pleaded guilty to a civil statute of animal cruelty at a Nov. 18 municipal court date in front of Judge Alan Kaplan and was required to pay a fine of $1,000 in addition to $50 in restitution fees.

Elbanna pleaded not guilty to the same charges and will be receiving a new court date shortly, according to Amato.

Hussein and Elbanna could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

— Lauren Ciraulo