BOSTON - The South End is on high alert after a dog ingested opioids at the Southwest Corridor Park.

Nancy Rittenhouse walks her beagle puppy, Fynn, on the sidewalks of the South End often. This past Tuesday was no different. The 7-month-old puppy was sniffing out the streets like dogs do.

"Fynn is always trying to go after food and picking stuff up. And as I was pulling him away, I looked down and there was a ripped baggie," said Rittenhouse, who quickly realized what was inside but it was too late. Rittenhouse said Fynn ingested heroin.

"Three minutes later in the dog park, he collapsed," said Rittenhouse. She rushed her puppy to the emergency room, carrying him lifeless in her arms. Luckily, doctors were able to save his life. "They were able to administer Narcan."

The most shocking part is this is the fourth time Fynn's been exposed to drugs in Boston, according to Rittenhouse.

"I don't think we, as a community, need to accept that there's heroin on the sidewalks as our kids and our dogs are walking past," said Rittenhouse.

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"Researchers found 5,162 cases of opioid poisonings in the United States were reported to the Animal Poison Control Center between 2006 and 2014, accounting for nearly three percent of the 190,000 calls relating to canines."

-National Geographic, 2020

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