K-9 Unit Recovers After Fentanyl Exposure at Maricopa County Jail

PHOENIX (AZFamily) A police dog was successfully treated after coming into contact with fentanyl at a Maricopa County jail on Wednesday.

According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 Max was helping with a search at their facility called Intake, Transfer and Release jail close to 27th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road when he found fentanyl on an incarcerated individual. Following this discovery, officials report that Max started showing "indications of exposure along with considerable signs of medical distress."

The Special Response Team within Maricopa County jails came into existence almost two years ago.

"Our main objective was to stop drugs from entering our facilities. To achieve this, we introduced detection dogs whose sense of smell is among the most acute available, and we trained them specifically to search for narcotics," explained Officer Brandon Rice, who handles Max.

For the first time, his colleague experienced harm while working.

Regrettably, we didn't uncover any significant information about the prisoner," stated Officer Rice. "Even trace amounts can be enough. We're seeing some extremely potent variants of fentanyl entering circulation, which can inflict severe harm through mere contact. Therefore, simply brushing against an item tainted with it could lead to serious issues for someone.

Max's caretaker, Officer Rice, along with the detention team, swiftly sprang into action and hurried the dog to a close-by animal clinic. There, he received treatment with Narcan under the watchful eye of the veterinarians.

Officer Rice mentioned that Narcan works effectively on both humans and dogs, though the dosage varies. For individuals who overdose, a single nasal spray suffices. However, for dogs, he stated that they require two sprays.

The admirable canine fully recovered and returned to duty the following day. According to Officer Rice, Max resumed his duties and detected over 400 fentanyl-contaminated tablets in another prisoner’s possession.

“Their bravery—and their handler's swift reaction—deserves recognition as truly heroic,” the department shared on social media.

"Basically, to simply save lives, we need to remove these drugs from circulation, and that presents the greatest chance for us," stated Officer Rice.

The The issue with drugs is becoming more severe. in local prisons, resulting in recent fatalities and other drug overdose incidents MCSO deputies suspect it's being brought in by inmates who conceal it within their bodies, something not identified during a pat-down search. Hence, X-ray scanners are the way in the next few months.

I wish I could assure you that we're completely confident in retrieving it once it enters our facility," Officer Rice explained. "However, since it has passed through an opening, it becomes considerably more challenging due to obvious limitations on extraction methods.

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