Chihuahua suffered overdose of heroin and cocaine; owner arrested

A container of Narcan, a branded version of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, sits on a table after a demonstration at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Humphrey Building, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Washington. The number of fatal overdoses in the U.S. fell in 2023 – only the second time since the current national epidemic of drug deaths began more than three decades ago. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the figures Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

The owners of a 15-pound (7-kilogram) Chihuahua have pleaded guilty after the dog allegedly overdosed on heroin and cocaine at a motel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, police records show.

Myrtle Beach police charged Shane Harris and Serrena Young with animal cruelty following the May 27 incident at the Palmetto Vista Motel. Young was also charged with possession of heroin with intent to resell. They were both taken to the Myrtle Beach Jail.

According to a police report, a Myrtle Beach firefighter administered the opioid antidote Narcan to the dog using a nebulizer after a caregiver who had been with Harris and Young at the motel brought it to the fire station.

The dog was given a full nasal dose of Narcan and, after being resuscitated, was given oxygen and taken to the beach’s animal emergency room for further treatment, a police report said.

Harris, who accompanied the nurse to the fire station, reportedly told authorities that a man came to his motel and left about a gram of heroin on a table. The dog ate it and became ill.

Police then went to the motel and met with Young, the report said.

When executing a search warrant, detectives said they found a syringe with a clear, brown liquid in a black handbag in the bathroom. The subsequent detection of heroin and cocaine was positive.

According to the police report, Young admitted to police officers that the syringe belonged to her.

According to court documents, Harris pleaded guilty to abandonment or abuse of an animal, was sentenced to 15 days in jail and must pay a fine of over $1,000. Young also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 days in jail and a fine of over $700.