Reports of dogs needing to be repeatedly resuscitated after ingesting opioids have prompted two Victoria councillors to seek amendments to the city’s Animal Control Bylaw.
Councillors Charlayne Thornton-Joe and Stephen Andrew said there’s been an “alarming” increase in reports of animal abuse, including a case where a dog had to be treated with naloxone seven times. They want changes to allow animal control officers to seize animals they believe have ingested drugs.
Naloxone, also known as Narcan, reverses the effects of opioids such as morphine and fentanyl. Andrew said he can’t stand by as animals are “cruelly” put through the life-saving intervention — sometimes repeatedly.
The pair plan to propose a new Animal Welfare and Animal Responsibility Bylaw at a council meeting on Thursday.
As part of their submission, the councillors noted Portland Housing Society staff at 844 Johnson St., which provides supportive housing, recently informed animal control officers they had to administer three doses of naloxone to a small dog owned by a resident.
Staff said it was the seventh time they had administered naloxone to the dog. They called animal control because the naloxone interventions “exceeded someone’s personal threshold,” animal control officers reported.
Officers seized the dog in the 900 block of Pandora Avenue. A veterinarian found methamphetamine, amphetamine and cocaine in the dog’s urine, according to the councillors. The dog became the city’s property and within days was adopted out.
The councillors say there has been an increase in cases of animal neglect involving drugs.
“Animal control officers report a dramatic increase in animal neglect over the past 18 to 24 months,” they say in their submission.
The councillors recommend that the city’s solicitor add language to the Animal Control Bylaw “that stipulates no animal shall be allowed to ingest opioids, narcotics or recreational drugs other than those prescribed by a veterinarian.”
The proposed amendments would require that anyone who treats an animal with naloxone report the incident to animal control and the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
They would also give animal control officers the ability to seize animals suspected of ingesting narcotics, recreational drugs or opioids and deliver them to a veterinarian for evaluation and treatment.
The councillors are asking that council request a report from animal control with recommendations to council.
Ian Fraser, Victoria’s senior animal control officer, said he thinks it’s reasonable to be notified any time a dog or cat has ingested opioids and has to be revived with naloxone.
Few cases where a dog or cat ingested drugs and had to be given naloxone are ever reported to animal-control authorities, said Fraser. When they are reported, animal control officers investigate.
“But when we do, we have never established with any amount of certainty — certainly not for any charges — whether someone purposefully fed the drug to the dog or cat or whether someone was so discombobulated they left their drugs on the floor and the dog was hungry and ate them,” Fraser said. “We’ll just never know the circumstances.”
Fraser believes most pet overdoses are accidental, not intentional — as when children accidentally ingest their parents’ cannabis gummy bears.
“It’s not much different for dogs.”
If someone has to administer naloxone to an animal, animal control will investigate whether it was intentional animal abuse or neglect. If the overdose has been caused by neglect, animal control can assess what can be done to prevent it from happening again, he said.
Fraser said he couldn’t speak to the specifics of the case of the dog that had repeatedly been administered naloxone.
“A complaint was made. We were going to investigate it. Then another complaint came in and when I was investigating that complaint, which was completely unrelated and a different location, I realized this was the same dog that was the subject of a complaint about ingesting drugs and being given naloxone. I chose to impound the dog for a bylaw violation that was occurring.”
Fraser then noticed the dog had rear-leg weakness. Concerned for its health, he brought it to the vet. Urinalysis showed the dogs had drugs in its urine, he said.
When it comes to seizing animals suspected of ingesting drugs, Fraser said animal control officers investigate, search records, speak to witnesses and make judgments based on knowledge.
“Then we take whatever action is appropriate.”
ceharnett@timescolonist.com
ldickson@timescolonist.com
