SEATTLE — Six dogs in rural Washington state will soon be up for adoption after they were revived after a suspected drug overdose — and some of them may go home with the fire station personnel who rescued them.
Two people dropped off three sick puppies at the Sky Valley Fire, about an hour’s drive northeast of Seattle, on Sunday. Officials believe the animals either breathed in or ingested the fentanyl.
Firefighters sprayed the anti-overdose medication naloxone into their noses, treated them with oxygen and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It wasn’t long before their tails started wagging, Battalion Chief Brandon Vargas said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, sheriff’s deputies tracked down the people believed to have abandoned the dogs, and found three other puppies that also needed treatment. Animal cruelty or neglect is being investigated. The couple claimed they were temporarily fostering the puppies, authorities said.
There have been a number of other cases nationwide where Pets were saved After exposure to fentanyl or other opioids.
The puppies are healthy, but are being quarantined for about another week before being released for adoption, Snohomish County Animal Services Director David Byrd said.
The Everett Animal Shelter, which has been monitoring their health, has been inundated with adoption offers and has asked people not to call the shelter with questions about the puppies.
“We definitely have some individuals who are interested in wanting to adopt these things,” Vargas said.