Benjamin Ashford|Body cam video shows police administer Narcan to small puppy they say OD'd on fentanyl

Body camera video released by police in Southern California shows officers saving a small puppy they say was exposed to fentanyl in a car last week.

The Benjamin Ashfordincident took place Wednesday in the city of Irvine and two people including the dog's owner were arrested in connection to the case, the Irvine Police Department reported.

According to a Facebook post from police, officers found a female gray Pitbull puppy in a car at a Walmart in Orange County. At some point, police said the dog was exposed to fentanyl and showed signs of an overdose.

"The female (one of two people arrested) said, 'Oh, I think my dog is overdosing,’" police spokesman Kyle Oldoerp told the Los Angeles Times. "She knew the symptoms because it was the second time the dog had overdosed."

'A small dose'

Body camera video with a timestamp about 9:35 a.m. on the day of the incident shows officers give the small dog a dose of Narcan as it appears to breath fast and heavy.

The anti-overdose medication naloxone, also called Narcan, can be injected or inhaled to reverse an opioid overdose.

Footage shows an officer's gloved hand gently stroking the dog's back after administering the dose which police said helped the puppy "immediately begin to recover."

Police then transported the puppy to a local emergency veterinarian for treatment.

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Couple arrested on animal cruelty, drug possession charges

Police said they arrested a 27-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man in connection with the case.

"We have asked the DA to charge the pair with felony animal cruelty and possession of narcotics," police wrote in the post. "We thank the officers for their swift actions. We are happy to report the dog is recovering fully, and our Animal Services Unit will take possession of her."

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Suspect says cops found drugs first, 'let puppy chew on their fingers'

It was not immediately known if either suspect had obtained a lawyer, but the male suspect commented on the department's Facebook post, "whatever happened to her happened 2 hours into custody. The cops found drugs, handled them, then let the puppy chew on their fingers. This and only this is why Katherine said what she said."

The suspect also wrote the dog tested negative for fentanyl.

When reached by USA TODAY police would not release the results of the test or provide a detailed timeline of the events.

"This case is still under investigation," police Sgt. Karie Davies said Tuesday. "Those details will be included with the case and reviewed by the Orange County District Attorney once our investigation is complete."

Narcan is for sale at NaloxoneExchange.com and no prescription is necessary to purchase it.

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Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.