LI Man's Puppies Ate Cocaine And Fentanyl, Needed Narcan: Suffolk SPCA

PORT JEFFERSON STATION, NY — A Port Jefferson Station man's puppies somehow ate cocaine and fentanyl, requiring a veterinarian to revive them with the opiate reversal drug, Narcan, the Suffolk Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said.

SPCA officers responded to a local animal hospital after a toxicology report indicated two chihuahua puppies roughly 15 weeks old, Freddy and Tonto, were suffering from the symptoms of a cocaine overdose, which can be lethal, and Narcan was administered to reverse it, Chief Gross said.

The puppies were brought by Adam Dziomba, 53, and another person to two separate hospitals last month severely lethargic; they were crying and limp with slowed breathing, so hospital staff suspected drugs, Gross said, adding that "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."

Gross declined to say how much of the drugs the puppies are suspected of eating, as 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.

Dziomba has refused to surrender the puppies, which are being "safeguarded" at a hospital, Gross said.

Suffolk police declined comment.

Dzimomba was charged with two counts of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, and he is scheduled for arraignment at a later date in First District Court in Central Islip.

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

His attorney Matt Tuohy of Huntington said that his client maintains his innocence and that he is not "the means for the dogs ingesting the drugs."

Gross said animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Suffolk, and urged anyone who sees an incident of animal cruelty or neglect to contact the SPCA at (631) 382-7722.