Authorities: Horses Suffered, Died After Being Treated By Woman Who Allegedly Claimed To Be Licensed Vet

NEWARK, NJ (CBS) – Authorities have filed an action against a Gloucester County woman after she allegedly deceived horse owners into believing she was a licensed veterinarian or a study studying veterinary medicine.

Officials say owners allowed her to treat her horses, some of which died after.

Authorities say Jacque Smith, also known as "Jackie Smith," "Jaqueline Smith," "Jacquline Fabrico Smith," "Jackie Fabrico Smith" and "Jacque Fabrico Smith," is not licensed by the State Board of Veterinary Medicine, nor did she attend veterinary school at University of Pennsylvania, as she allegedly told consumers.

Smith allegedly operated businesses called "Equine Health" and "Equine Dentistry," though neither business is registered in New Jersey, officials say.

Smith allegedly administered prescription drugs to horses that only licensed veterinarians are permitted to use. In one case, she allegedly determined that a horse needed to be euthanized. She is accused of injecting the horse and allegedly causing the animal to suffer for two hours.

In a separate case, Smith allegedly misdiagnosed a horse with a urinary tract infection as simply being dehydrated and improperly treated the animal.

"New Jersey's animals are deserving of proper treatment and care by legitimate veterinarians," Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said. "Rather than help and heal, Smith caused harm to horses by misrepresenting who she was, and in some cases, delayed proper veterinary care through her alleged actions."

Another horse rescued by a couple in Mays Landing allegedly collapsed after Smith injected it with what she claimed to be Morphine. When the horse was injected multiple times, but did not die, Smith allegedly said, "other veterinarians say to cut the horse's throat," which she ultimately did not do.

Officials say the horse died two hours after the last injection.

According to the complaint, when a consumer found out Smith was not a licensed veterinarian and refused to pay in full, Smith allegedly threatened to have her husband break the consumer's legs and "have their horses killed at any time."

"Any animal lover should be outraged by the alleged conduct of Jacque Smith," said Steve Lee, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. "Some of the horses she 'treated' died horribly slow, painful deaths as a direct result of her alleged actions, and others did not get the quality care they should have received from a legitimate veterinarian."

The State in its six-count complaint, is seeking to permanently bar Smith from treating horses and holding herself out as a veterinarian. The State is also seeking to obtain civil penalties and consumer restitution.

Officials ask any consumers who have employed Smith and had quality of care issues to contact the Division of Consumer Affairs and file a complaint.