LI Cocaine Chihuahuas' Owner 'Drove 140MPH' To Vet Hospital: Court Doc

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — The Long Island owner of Chihuahua puppies that somehow gobbled cocaine and fentanyl this Spring told investigators he drove 140MPH to get them to the vet hospital where they were revived from overdoses with Narcan, court documents show.

Suffolk Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officers responded to a local animal hospital after a toxicology report showed two Chihuahua puppies roughly 15 weeks old, "Freddie" and "Tonto," were suffering from the symptoms of a cocaine overdose, which can be lethal, and Narcan was administered to reverse the effects, Chief Roy Gross previously told Patch back in June.

The puppies were brought by Adam Dziomba, 53, of Port Jefferson Station, and another person to two separate hospitals in May, severely lethargic, Gross said, adding, that the tiny dogs were crying and limp with slowed breathing, so hospital staff suspected drugs, and "at that time, they weren't positive so we asked to do a lab test — toxicology report — which in fact came back positive for both cocaine and fentanyl."

In a court document, investigators say 18-week-old "Freddie" tested positive for cocaine at a vet emergency center in Selden, and then again a day later with "Tonto," an 18-month-old, at another vet emergency center at around 7:45 p.m.

The pair had to be revived with Narcan after they presented as being "severely lethargic, crying, limp," and had "slowed breathing," records show.

Dziomba told investigators that "Freddie" was hot to the touch and limp, and that he drove 140MPH to the vet hospital, according to the record.

The dog, who was revived, tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl, the record shows.
Tonto also was revived, according to the record.

On June 14 at around 1:30 p.m., Tonto was brought to the same vet hospital that "Freddie" was initially brought to and he tested positive for cocaine, the record shows.

Tonto was showing signs of toxicity, agitation, had an elevated heart rate, and enlarged pupils, according to the record.

Gross, back in June, declined to say how much of the drugs the puppies are suspected of scarfing, so not to jeopardize the investigation.

"It's just a very unfortunate situation that you know that that you know just how these animals got into that into his drugs," he said at the time.

Dziomba has refused to surrender the dogs, which are continuing to be held until the disposition of the case, Gross said Monday.

Dziomba pleaded not guilty to two counts of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, at his arraignment Monday in First District Court in Central Islip, court records show.

He was previously charged with second-degree menacing with a weapon, also a misdemeanor, in a separate case, according to documents. He entered a plea of not guilty and an order of protection was issued, records show.

His attorney, Matt Tuohy of Huntington, could not be reached for comment.

He previously told Patch that Dziomba maintains his innocence and that he is not "the means for the dogs ingesting the drugs."

If convicted, Dziomba faces up to a year and/or a $1,000 fine.

He is due back in court on Thursday, court records show.