IRVINE, Calif. (AP) 鈥 A pit bull puppy that California police believe got into its owners' fentanyl stash was administered an overdose-reversing drug and is recovering, officials said.
The dog's owners, a man and a woman, were arrested and could face charges including drug possession and animal cruelty, according to the Irvine Police Department.
The incident began with a 鈥渃onsensual鈥 encounter between the couple and police on Wednesday outside a Walmart, department spokesman Kyle Oldoerp said. After officers discovered fentanyl in their car, the two were arrested, he said.
鈥淭hen the female said, 鈥極h, I think my dog is overdosing,鈥 鈥 Oldoerp told the on Saturday. 鈥淪he knew the symptoms because it was the second time the dog had overdosed.鈥
He said it wasn鈥檛 immediately clear how the dog would have been exposed to the drug, which is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A dose as small as 2 milligrams can be fatal to a human, though dogs are less sensitive to the drug, according to the Times.
鈥淚f they鈥檙e using drugs in their car, we can only speculate," Oldoerp said.
At the station, officers administered overdose-reversing naloxone to the dog, which made a 鈥減retty quick鈥 turnaround, Oldoerp said.
The man and woman were not identified. Authorities will hold on to the puppy until there is a hearing to determine whether to give the dog back to its owners, the Times reported.
