Veterinarian Pleads No Contest to Allowing Illegal Care by Son

In a plea bargain that carries a 30-day jail sentence, a Chatsworth veterinarian has pleaded no contest Tuesday of allowing his son to illegally practice veterinary medicine at his clinic.

Dr. Steven Abrams, 65, entered his plea in Los Angeles Municipal Court to a single misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting the practice of medicine without a license. In criminal courts, a no contest plea carries the same penalties as a guilty conviction.

Abrams’ 31-year-old son, Alan Abrams, allegedly told pet owners that he was a vet and is accused of performing two experimental surgeries on a cat whose owners were told that it had been euthanized because of terminal cancer.

The son is scheduled to be arraigned next week on 21 misdemeanor counts, but prosecutors said more charges may be added before that.

Prosecutors agreed to drop 20 charges against the elder Abrams. But the agreement calls for “a fairly stout sentence” of three years probation and 30 days in custody, said Deputy City Atty. Greg Parham.

People convicted of practicing medicine without a license, most of whom have had human patients, typically receive a sentence of probation and a fine, Parham said.

Municipal Commissioner Harold S. Vites scheduled a sentencing hearing Sept. 21 so that the Probation Department can evaluate whether Steven Abrams is eligible to serve his jail time at home under an electronic surveillance program.

“This wasn’t a bargain in the sense that he did not get a slap on the wrist,” Parham said.

The agreement also calls for Abrams to pay a fine of about $12,000, which includes nearly $4,000 to reimburse the state Department of Consumer Affairs, which conducted the investigation.

At the sentencing, defense attorney Robert Sills is expected to ask that his client not be ordered to serve any time.

Steven Abrams has practiced veterinary medicine for 38 years. He denied in an interview with The Times last month that his son treated any animals. But prosecutors and several pet owners tell a much different story.

Alan Abrams allegedly provided a number of evaluations and treatments that only a licensed veterinarian is allowed to perform under state law. In one case, prosecutors charge that the younger Abrams operated on a cat with cancer, even though the pet’s elderly owners thought that the animal had been put to sleep months before.