Small details like a lack of credentials or a degree in veterinary medicine should probably keep someone from a successful career in treating animals.

Police in Vineland, NJ, have arrested Daniel Tyce for posing as a female veterinarian. Tyce, who worked under the name of “Dr. Danielle Smith,” ran a business called South Jersey Small Animal Rescue which inoculated animals and set up homeless animals with people looking to adopt.

His Web site claims that Danielle Smith was a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and possesses a doctorate in veterinary medicine. (Tyce has no such degrees.)

Along with his assistant, Tyce would drive around in his Jeep Cherokee with “Animal Cruelty Investigations” written on its side. The two also wore police-style uniforms with mock badges that led numerous residents to believe they were properly certified animal control officers.

Police began investigating the company after a resident informed them of suspicious activity by the group, which operated primarily out of Tyce’s apartment.

Although he’s been charged with unlicensed practice of medicine, Tyce may also face a charge of theft by deception because he solicited and accepted donations, claiming his agency was a non-profit.

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Tags: Non-profit, University of Pennsylvania, Veterinarian