Bay Area officers will carry antidote to save drug-sniffing dogs from overdose

East Bay officers will soon start carrying an antidote to protect drug-sniffing dogs from opioids.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office is pushing for officers to start carrying Narcan, a drug that can reverse overdose effects, for its K-9 units, CBS San Francisco reported Friday.

“We are also going to be issuing this drug to our deputies so that we can also treat ourselves and members of the public should we come across an overdose incident related to an opioid,” spokesperson Sgt. Ray Kelly told CBS San Francisco.

The Narcan spray kits will be provided by Cover Your K-9, a non-profit organization. Narcan, also known as naloxone, is not restricted to dogs and can be used by deputies and civilians if necessary.

About a dozen dogs nationwide have been affected by Fentanyl during searches, according to CBS San Francisco.

This is the first program of its type in California. Massachusetts State Police began carrying naloxone for dogs in March, according to CBS News.

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Bay Area officers will carry antidote to save drug-sniffing dogs from overdose."