A couple, who was initially arrested for narcotics possession, now face charges of felony animal cruelty after their Pitbull puppy showed signs of fentanyl overdose, following exposure to the drug inside the couple’s car.
The incident happened last September 6 at a Walmart, according to a Facebook post by the Irvine Police Department. The police officers arrested Caleb Aaron Gibson, 29, of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and Katherine Marylou Menke, 27, of Santa Ana, Calif., for fentanyl possession. Upon discovery of the puppy inside the couple’s car, the police officers administered a dose of opioid-overdose treatment, Narcan, to the dog.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Irvine Police Department spokesperson, Kyle Oldoerp says Menke knew immediately that the eight-week-old puppy was overdosing when they were taken to the police station. “She knew the symptoms because it was the second time the dog had overdosed,” says Menke.
The Irvine Police Department confirmed in the online statement that the puppy is fully recovering, and the department’s Animal Services Unit will take possession of the dog. Further, the department had asked the Orange County district attorney’s office to file charges in the case.