Lethal drugs stolen from pet shelter in Idaho

POCATELLO, Idaho – Somebody broke into the Pocatello Animal Shelter in eastern Idaho and stole a safe containing medication used to end the lives of old and seriously injured animals, shelter workers say.

Assistant Manager Danielle Garcia told KIFI-TV that human lives will be at risk if whoever stole the safe mistakes the drugs for pain medication.

“So all of the drugs that were in the safe, which is the euthanasia medicine, was taken,” Garcia said. “Unfortunately that is a very, very dangerous medicine.”

Police are investigating and have dusted for fingerprints around a metal door at the back of the shelter that was forced open.

“It’s a lethal drug, and as far as street value or people using it on the street it’s not anything I’ve ever heard of,” Garcia said. “It’s used for one purpose, and it’s definitely something you don’t want to play around with.”

Garcia said that without the drugs, shelter workers won’t be able to humanely end the lives of old or injured pets brought to the shelter.

“If they bring it here and it needs to be put down, we don’t have the capability of doing it,” Garcia said. “And so animals have to suffer because of that, and that’s a horrible, sad thing.”