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Report: Opioid-Addicted Pet Owners Injure Animals for Painkillers

DEA officials told Kentucky vets to look out for owners who’ve abused their pets to get drugs.

Some opioid-addicted pet owners are injuring their animals in order to obtain painkillers, Drug Enforcement Agency officials warn. According to USA Today, Scott Brinks of the DEA’s Diversion Control Division told over 200 Kentucky doctors and veterinarians in August to “watch for potential drug seekers.” An investigator for Kentucky’s prescription drug monitoring program told the newspaper that it’s difficult to run checks on pet owners. In one 2014 case, a Kentucky woman cut her dog with razor blades to get her hands on Tramadol, a “moderate to severe” painkiller. The dog’s vet started to notice red flags, like the scars being “too clean,” and the woman was eventually charged in 2015 for making false statements and torturing a cat or dog. “Certainly, we know that people who have a drug problem will do almost anything to obtain them,” Dr. Doug Peterson, president of the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association, said. “Is it something the average vet sees on a monthly basis? Probably not. But we need to be concerned about it for sure.”