Dog Beach visit sends San Diego pup to emergency hospital with meth exposure

OCEAN BEACH, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A San Diego man is warning other dog owners after a recent trip to Dog Beach landed his pup in the emergency room with meth exposure.

Luckily, that pup is doing just fine now, but only after being rushed to the hospital, where his owner spent around $1,000 in vet bills.

“It was like a 30-hour ordeal. He had sedatives seven times and even on sedatives, he is just going crazy. He had to be held down,” said Justin Voeller.

It’s a day at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach Voeller will never forget. For his four-legged friend, Angus, it could’ve ended his life. 

Late Tuesday morning, the 8-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was doing what he always does at Dog Beach — playing by the water. Then a quick dash towards the dunes. 

“When we got him, he was sniffing some feces, so we grabbed him away from that. Took him home everything seemed fine at first,” said Voeller.

Angus’ pupils were dilated and he couldn’t hold still so Voeller rushed him to the ER. 

“He already had a fever of almost 107, and they said that they were worried that he was going to get so hot that he would fry his little brain,” said Voeller as he described the ordeal.

Then a drug test proved his suspicion. “He tested positive for methamphetamine,” said Voeller.

Dr. Danielle Clem with the San Diego Humane Society said quick action offers the best chance of survival. “Some of these symptoms can progress to death, and so that would be the ultimate consequence, but they could even cause permanent damage. These drugs can sometimes affect the nervous system, the heart,” she said.

Clem added that while it’s not something they see often, it’s not unheard of, and while immediate medical care is best, some overdose reversal medications are safe. 

“Narcan is effective in dogs just as it is in humans, but depending on the toxin, it may not be effective,” said Clem.

Meanwhile, Voeller wants other dog owners to be alert after seeing social media chatter of a similar incident the same day.

“I saw the post though on OB Social and that’s how I knew someone else was dealing with it so that makes us want to stay away for a while,” said Voeller.

He also noticed something else in the comments he believes deserves attention. 

“Over 300 comments, and I think a lot of the angst was directed at the unhoused population here, which is unfortunate. There’s so many times when people want and need help and they’re turned away because there’s no available place for them at the time so it’s something that the city needs to address,” said Voeller.

Clem said pet owners can help keep animals safe by staying aware of their surroundings, keeping dogs leashed and reinforcing training.