AVENTURA, Fla. – An Aventura veterinarian is behind bars on child pornography charges.
The man tasked with caring for animals is also being accused of abusing one.
Dr. Prentiss Madden, 40, is facing serious federal charges for allegedly sexually abusing an animal and possession of child pornography.
News of the vet’s arrest was shocking to Lindsay Donzanti, an animal rescuer who not only trusted Madden with her own two pets but recommended him to dozens of people.
“I’m in total disbelief,” said Donzanti. “We used to call him doctor handsome. He was always very professional, sweet, softly spoken. Who could imagine?”
Homeland Security Investigations confirmed the arrest to Local 10 News but declined to reveal any additional details.
According to the Miami Herald, a cyber tip led investigators to Madden last month. After raiding his home, they reportedly found digital images of child porn, as well as additional images of Madden sexually abusing a dog.
“The animals are so defenseless and here’s someone we trusted with our animals,” Donzanti said.
Madden’s name no longer appears outside Caring Hands Animal Hospital, where he served as medical director.
Archived versions of Caring Hands’ website showed photos of Prentiss at work, along with his bio.
In a statement, the animal hospital said they fired Madden two weeks ago when they found out about the allegations, which they called appalling, and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.