Police in California administered Narcan to a puppy they suspected was overdosing on fentanyl and saved its life, reports say.
The owners of the young pit bull, a man and woman, were arrested and face possible charges of drug possession and animal cruelty, according to The Associated Press.
The Irvine Police Department said the incident began with a consensual encounter between the owners and police outside of a Walmart. Officers discovered fentanyl in their vehicle and placed them under arrest.
That's when the woman noticed her puppy's condition.
"Then the female said, 'Oh, I think my dog is overdosing,'" department spokesman Kyle Oldoerp told The Los Angeles Times on Saturday. "She knew the symptoms because it was the second time the dog had overdosed."
Irvine Police Department via AP
It was not immediately clear how the dog may have accessed fentanyl, police said.
"Maybe it was a baggie on the ground of the car; we really don't know," Oldoerp told The Times. "If they're using drugs in their car, we can only speculate."
Sgt. Karie Davies of the Irvine Police Department said the dog showed signs that suggested it was overdosing.
"Her tongue was hanging out of her mouth. Her eyes were kind of closing and so the officers thought, hey, let's use the Narcan on the dog to see if that will help her out," Davies told reporters. "Sure enough it did, so they transported the dog to the vet."
Oldoerp said after officers at the police station administered the drug overdose treatment naloxone, the pup made a quick turnaround.
Authorities will hold on to the puppy until a hearing determines whether the pair keeps the pooch or not, according to The Times.
The identities of the owners have not been released.
Over-the-counter sales of Narcan to begin this week
The nasal spray is the first FDA approved over-the-counter medicine to reverse opioid overdose.
