NYPD reviewing its $734K contract for horse vet with decades-long history of violations
Share and Follow

The NYPD is currently examining its 4,000 agreement with a vet who is in charge of the police department’s mounted horse unit. This decision comes after it was revealed that the vet has a record of breaking rules related to the care of racehorses, as reported by The Post.

Camilo Bravo Sierra, of Northport, New York, who has been a contract veterinarian with the Department of Health in 2019, was fined at least seven times and suspended twice while working as a horse racing veterinarian at Queens’ Aqueduct Race Track, according to state data first reported by Gothamist. 

“While there have been no complaints or problems with the care that our horses have received, we take any allegations of abuse very seriously, and we are reviewing the contract,” an NYPD rep told The Post.

A rep for the DOH, which oversees the city’s carriage horses and has a $3,000 horse veterinarian contract with Sierra until late 2026, declined to comment on “personnel issues.” 

Sierra was awarded the massive NYPD contract last October to treat the city’s fleet of roughly 50 horses for the next five years after the agency’s longtime vet died in 2023, a source familiar with the matter said.

In an interview with The Post last year, Sierra called his violations “minor” and contended that he was only suspended from the racetrack grounds, and that his license itself was never suspended.

A rep from the state gaming commission did not return a request for comment on the violations.

“If I had committed serious violations, my license would have been suspended, period,” said Sierra, who declined a phone interview this month.

According to ruling documents, Sierra “committed an improper, corrupt and fraud act” in 2017 at Aqueduct by submitting health certificates for horses he didn’t evaluate, prescribing the now-banned drug Albuterol to a horse he hadn’t treated and using a fictitious horse name on documents.

Sierra was fined $4,500 and suspended for 21 days.

Other violations issued to Sierra over the years include allegedly submitting health certificates for horses he didn’t evaluate in 2016; breaking the gaming commission’s rules regarding steroid drug use in horses in 2013; and failing to “follow proper licensing requirements” in 2006.

Separately, the New York State Board for Veterinary Medicine fined Sierra in 2020 for “professional misconduct” for failing to sign a medical exam form, list medication he gave and provide information to support his treatment of a horse in Queens in 2016, records show. 

His veterinary license was ordered suspended for two years, though he was put on a probation instead, Gothamist reported.

The doctor, who has been licensed in the state since 1992, has a troubled past aside from the state-level volitions, animal activists say.

Sierra performed the autopsy for carriage horse Aysha who collapsed while working and was euthanized in February 2020 after suffering from a treatable genetic disease.

Sierra’s autopsy contended the horse was “in good condition” and showed “no injuries consistent with abuse or mishandling,” despite online videos depicting carriage drivers pushing and dragging the mare directly following its collapse.

Medical records show also Aysha was given a clean health exam from another vet in October 2019, but the mare would have had symptoms for a while that went ignored, according to Edita Birnkrant, executive director of animal advocacy group NYCLASS.

“The reason there was no animal cruelty investigation into Aysha’s death, and the mishandling that led up to her death, was because Camilo Sierra was the only vet to do the autopsy and declare that there was absolutely no wrongdoing on anyone’s part,” Birnkrant told The Post.

Sierra has also treated sloths owned by Larry Wallach, documents show, whose Long Island-based Sloth Encounters was shuttered last year amid animal abuse allegations.

“If somebody calls me to care for an animal I don’t ask if they went to jail or if they have a criminal record or speeding tickets,” Sierra said. “That’s none of my business.”

Sierra added he is “not a criminal.”

“I have saved countless horses’ lives over the years,” he said.

“I have an excellent reputation as a large animal vet.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Dramatic bodycam video captures moment suspected kidnapper is arrested after 40 years on the run

Captured After Four Decades: Bodycam Footage Reveals Arrest of Long-Sought Kidnapping Suspect

Body camera footage captures the dramatic arrest of a woman in Florida,…
Bo Bichette 'willing' to switch positions as free agent fields offers

Bo Bichette Open to Position Change Amidst Lucrative Free Agent Bids

As the offseason progresses, one of the standout hitters in free agency…
Leonardo DiCaprio shocks fans by confessing he's NEVER seen Titanic

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Titanic Confession: Why He’s Never Watched the Iconic Film

Leonardo DiCaprio recently surprised his fans by admitting he has never watched…
Putin derides European leaders as he insists Russia's war goals in Ukraine will be met by force or diplomacy

Putin Challenges Europe’s Resolve: Vows Victory in Ukraine Through Force or Diplomacy

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed that Russia’s objectives in Ukraine…
Pope Leo XIV's oldest brother admitted to 'everything short of murder and incest' during tell-all confession with pontiff

Eldest Brother of Pope Leo XIV Confesses to Series of Misdeeds in Revealing Discussion with Pontiff

Pope Leo XIV’s older brother, known as a staunch MAGA supporter and…
Kirsty MacColl's ex: 'She was killed by Mexico's richest man'

Allegations Resurface: Kirsty MacColl’s Ex Claims Mexico’s Wealthiest Man Responsible for Her Tragic Death

On this day, we remember the tragic loss of Kirsty MacColl, who…
Brown shooting suspect's car spotted near MIT professor's home

Vehicle linked to Brown shooting suspect observed near residence of MIT professor

The individual accused of the shooting at Brown University over the weekend…
Tributes pour in as NASCAR legend and family die in private jet crash

NASCAR Mourns Tragic Loss: Racing Legend and Family Killed in Devastating Private Jet Crash

Tragedy struck the racing community as Greg Biffle, a beloved figure in…