As Opioid Crisis Intensifies, Even K9 Dogs At Risk
In Abraham Lincoln’s hometown, the opioid crisis is affecting even our four-legged friends. As the crisis continues, K9 dogs are now seeing its effects.
“It’s incumbent upon us to check that area for our canine partners to make sure that the area in which they are working is as safe as possible,” Springfield Police Patrol Officer Ryan Machin said.
However, the idea of overdosing is becoming a nightmare that Officer Machin said is avoidable. “It’s a fairly rare occurrence on a nationwide basis,” Machin said.
When K9 officers and dogs are called to a drug situation, a four-legged fatality is never expected.
Officers in Springfield are stepping up their training and vigilance around overdoses. “Every officer in the Springfield Police Department, every patrol officer carries a Narcan scent with them. The same kit can be administered if there’s an opioid exposure on a canine,” Machin said.
Now officers are taking extra precautions to avoid the nightmare of their four-legged partner overdoing. “You can have, depending on what the opioid is, an amount as small as a mustard seed, can be enough to kill an adult human let alone a dog,” Associate Veterinarian at Capitol Illini Veterinary Services Canaan Shores said.
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