One occasionally hears of a police department coming under scrutiny after some officer or civilian pilfers the confiscated drug stash. But here is a new one, to me at least.
Police here in Beaumont are investigating the theft of the anesthetic drug ketamine from the local animal shelter. The drug is used for several veterinary purposes including sedating an animal before it being euthanized, according to a report on the investigation by local station KBMT-12 in Beaumont.
One anti-drug site noted an alarming trend nationally of animal clinics being robbed for ketamine and also says the drug’s street names include “Vitamin K” or “Cat Valium.”
“An alarming number of veterinary clinics continue to be targeted by thieves seeking Ketamine, a drug prized on the club scene for its euphoric and hallucinatory effects. The robberies follow a similar pattern: one or more people show up with a sickly looking dog, usually without an appointment, Ketamine is then demanded from the veterinarian at gunpoint.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, September 15, 2001
The TV report said local police are on the lookout for sexual assault cases in which ketamine might have been used as a date rape drug. Ketamine is known for producing hallucinogenic effects similar to PCP and LSD, according to the anti-drug site. It is also a primary cause of a condition known as “hot dog fingers.” Not really. I stole that from an E-Trade television commercial.