Retired police dog 'overdoses' on cannabis after eating drugs on walk

A retired police dog fell ill after accidentally eating cannabis, with a charity stepping in to cover the treatment costs.

Heidie, a German Shepherd, served as a general-purpose Police Scotland dog for four years alongside handler Jo Devlin before they retired to Motherwell together in 2022.

When the nine-year-old stumbled and flinched when petted one evening before bed, Jo realised something was wrong.

Fearing a stroke or other serious illness, she rushed Heidie to an emergency veterinary clinic in Glasgow.

“Heidie sleeps next to my bed, and around 1am she got up to go out and stumbled, struggling down the stairs. She was wobbly in the garden and flinched when I touched her,” Jo said.

“She was finding it difficult to use her back legs and flinched when I stroked her.

Heidie has fully recovered. thinbluepaw via Supplied

“I was so upset; I thought she’d had a stroke or something. I called the emergency vets and rushed her to Glasgow.

“The vet asked me to walk her around the waiting room and said he thought he knew what was wrong. He asked if she’d eaten anything she shouldn’t, but I didn’t think she had.

The vets quickly realised Heidie had ingested cannabis, likely picked up during a late walk.

Heidie was induced to vomit and treated with medication before being allowed home.

“I was shocked when he told me he thought she’d had a marijuana overdose”, Jo added. “I couldn’t believe it; an ex-police dog who’d had too much cannabis.

“She slept all day, but soon bounced back to her happy self.

“I can only think she picked up a small amount on her walk. It was quite funny, a retired police dog caught red-handed on drugs. But I’m hugely grateful to the Thin Blue Paw Foundation for helping with the costs at such a stressful time.”

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a UK charity supporting retired police dogs, covered the £540 emergency treatment bill.

The organisation assists owners with veterinary care, medication, and rehabilitative therapy for retired police dogs.

Founder Kieran Stanbridge said: “Heidie spent years chasing suspects and sniffing out crime, so it was certainly a surprise when her nose led her to eat an illegal drug.

“She’s the first dog we’ve supported after ingesting cannabis, but it may not be the last. We’re proud to be there for our canine heroes when they need us.”

Since its launch in 2020, the charity has provided more than £400,000 in support to over 180 retired police dogs across the UK.