Money and Ketamine stolen from animal hospital in Johnson County
JOHNSON COUNTY (WISH) — The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the person who stole money and bottles of a potentially dangerous drug from an animal hospital.
It happened early Tuesday morning at Briarcrest Animal Hospital on State Road 135.
According to the incident report, the veterinarian told deputies he showed up to the work to find the back door open. He went inside to check and found several things missing.
The report stated someone went through the office drawers and medicine cabinet in the surgery room. They got away with cash and one hundred 10 milliliter bottles of Ketamine.
One pharmacist believes people are stealing the drug in hopes of getting that extra high.
“Ketamine is a drug that has properties like anesthesia so when it’s abuse it’s similar to LSD or PCP,” said Amy Peak, who is the director of Undergraduate Health Science Programs at Butler University.
Ketamine is typically injected into animals as a tranquilizer or for anesthesia. And this wouldn’t be the first time thieves are targeting an animal hospital to get their drug of choice.
“People can certainly lose their life from overdosing on a product like this,” said Peak.
Peak said the effects of Ketamine can be dangerous and deadly.
“It’s very dangerous because it can increase your blood pressure significantly and change your heart rate and it’s very easy to overdose on it as well,” she said.
She said the drug can cause people to hallucinate and much more.
“Some people aren’t really prepared for the experience that they have they just assumed it will be a pleasant experience and that certainly isn’t always the case,” she said.
Authorities are investigating after receiving a theft report at Briarcrest Animal Hospital. Just last December, two other animal hospitals and clinics became a target. The thieves got away with Ketamine.
“It is not something you play with so special K really isn’t an agent that you know, it’s very unsafe it’s something that can be really harmful,” she said.
A veterinary clinic in Mooresville said they have taken extra precautions since the last incident by switching to a different alarm system.
If you think you know anything about these thefts you’re asked to call the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 317-736-9155.