BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Police dogs are tasked with sticking their noses in all sorts of places — but what happens when a K-9 finds drugs like heroin or fentanyl and accidentally inhales a large dose?
"Just a minute amount that touches our skin can affect us so imagine what it can do to our dogs," said Jay Hoy, of the New York State Police K-9 Unit.
In the past, affected dogs would have to be brought into a vet to be treated for drug-related incidents. Now, handlers with both the State Police and Erie County Sheriff's Office are trained to use naxolone on their four-legged partners if they sniff their way into trouble.
"We can't see everything, we don't know everything is there, but we take every precaution we can to prevent anything bad from happening. But if it does, we have the training necessary," said Hoy.
Neither agency has had to use the lifesaving medicine on any of its dogs, but with the rising use of drugs laced with the deadly fentanyl, officers say you can never be too safe.