LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Two Clark County School District Police dogs are back on the job after they overdosed on illegal drugs during a search.
The K9s – Ace and Peppermint – were working a search warrant at a home off school property, sniffing out drugs and weapons.
“During that search, he did alert on a couple of places, he actually had a really good hold on one specific place, so we knew that there were drugs that were present inside that house,” said CCSDPD Officer Steven Patty.
But then, they started acting strange – first Ace, then Peppermint.
“Ace was not acting right. He was really tired, he seemed he had run a long race. His tongue was hanging out,” said Officer Patty. “By the time that it took us to get upstairs, she was acting the same way. She was walking sideways, very quickness of breath, and she was just not acting right.”
The dogs were administered Narcan and rushed to an emergency vet just minutes away.
Officer Patty said he and his sergeant were nervous about administering Narcan to a dog, so they called to confirm the decision with the veterinarian.
“That Narcan isn’t specific to the dogs, it’s the exact same Narcan that we have for our officers, or anybody else that might be overdosing,” said Officer Patty.
It proved to be the right choice. Officer Patty said by the time they reached the emergency clinic, both dogs were almost back to normal.
Officer Patty said both Ace and Peppermint tested positive for THC and opioids. Ace also had PCP, cocaine, and oxycontin in his system.
“Both of them tested positive for both THC and for opioids, which is what fentanyl is made out of. That’s what we were really worried about,” said Officer Patty.
Now recovered, Ace and Peppermint are back to sniffing out illegal items on the job and treats at home.
“I love Peppermint to death,” said Officer Patty. “She wakes up with me, she runs with me, we do some races together, and so we’re together all the time. And especially during the day, every moment that I’m at work I’m thinking, ‘How can I interact with Peppermint, what can we do to make her better, train harder, and to be more safe?’”
“She’s like a child to me,” he said. “She’s part of my family.”
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