GOLD BAR, Wash. — Firefighters with Sky Valley Fire administered CPR, oxygen and naloxone to three unresponsive puppies after suspecting the dogs had been exposed to fentanyl.
Three puppies were carried into the station in critical condition on Jan. 11, Sky Valley Fire said. Because all three dogs presented with similar symptoms, firefighters suspected an environmental poisoning rather than a medical condition affecting a single animal.
Crews immediately began life-saving care, providing CPR, oxygen therapy and administering naloxone.
“It was our firefighters’ best guess that the puppies had experienced a fentanyl overdose,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
While firefighters worked to stabilize the dogs, the officer in charge contacted the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office to locate the individuals who had dropped the puppies off at the station, KOMO News reports. Deputies later found those individuals at their residence, where three additional puppies were discovered in similar distress.
The three newly located puppies were rushed to Fire Station 54, where firefighter/EMTs provided emergency care. All six puppies were later transported to Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital in Snohomish for further evaluation.
Dr. Lindsey Murphy, a veterinarian at Pilchuck, told KOMO News that her team assessed the puppies’ vitals and monitored them overnight.
“It was a little bit chaotic at first — we had a lot of puppies who had a lot to say,” Murphy said. “Thankfully, Sky Valley Fire did a great job. By the time they came in, they were bright and alert.”
Murphy said some of the puppies were still mildly affected but did not require additional treatment. She noted she was surprised one puppy that required CPR survived.
“Puppies are resilient,” she said.
Murphy added that drug and opioid exposure in animals has become increasingly common.
“We usually have at least one dog every day that has gotten into some sort of illicit substance,” she said. “It’s really prevalent in the environment — behind bushes, under playground benches — and sometimes people unknowingly expose their pets in their own homes.”
According to Snohomish County Animal Services Manager David Byrd, the puppies have since been transferred to the Everett Animal Shelter, where they will remain for a mandatory 10-day hold before being placed up for adoption.
Byrd said the agency is continuing to investigate how the puppies were exposed to fentanyl and whether criminal charges are warranted.
