They give an overdose antidote to a dog after possible ingestion of fentanyl in California

IRVINE, Calif. — A puppy who apparently got his owners’ stash of fentanyl was given an overdose antidote and is recovering, authorities said.

The pup’s owners, a man and a woman, were arrested and could face prosecution for drug possession and cruelty to animals, the Irvine Police Department said.

The incident began with a “consensus” meeting between the couple and police Wednesday outside a Walmart, police spokesman Kyle Oldoerp said. When cops found fentanyl in the car, they arrested the couple.

“Then the woman commented, ‘Oh, I think my dog ​​overdosed.’”Oldoerp told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday. “She knew the symptoms because it was the second time the dog had overdosed.”

It was not immediately clear how the dog came to ingest the drug, which is up to 50 times more potent than heroin. Even a dose of just 2 milligrams can be fatal to a human, although dogs are less vulnerable, according to the Times.

“If they are using drugs in the car, we can only speculate”Olderp said.

At the police station, police officers gave the dog naloxone, which recovered “very quickly,” Oldoerp said.

The couple was not identified. Authorities will hold the puppy until there is a hearing to determine whether or not to return it to the couple, the Times reported.