A Julian man who ran an unlicensed animal care facility has been sentenced after a jury convicted him of six misdemeanor counts tied to the death of a dog in his custody and the neglect of other animals under his watch. Nelson Andres Zepeda, 44, operated Urban Feline, where a dog named Roble died while supposedly undergoing behavioral training.
Zepeda was convicted in August of six misdemeanor counts involving animal abuse, neglect and failure to provide necessary care, according to danewscenter.com. The outlet reports that Urban Feline was an unlicensed holistic animal care facility run by Zepeda in Julian, and that the case against him began after a 2025 complaint about the animals in his care.
The San Diego County Department of Animal Services received that complaint in April 2025, flagging dogs and cats at the facility with untreated health problems and signs of significant weight loss, the report states. Photographs later presented in the case showed a substantial decline in Roble’s health over roughly a year while the dog was in Zepeda’s custody for behavioral training, per the same account.
Eight Animals Removed From the Facility
Animal Services ultimately seized eight animals from Urban Feline — four dogs and four cats — as the investigation into conditions at the facility unfolded, the article notes. Roble did not survive. Separately, ksdy50.com reports that Roble’s owner was not informed when the dog’s condition worsened or after the dog had died…