The police station was quiet.
It was nearing ten in the morning. Suddenly, an old woman, close to seventy, strode in confidently, holding on a leash an oddly plump, reddish dog. The animal wagged its tail, bounced lightly on the floor, and looked, to put it mildly, far too energetic.
– Good morning. I need to speak with your chief, – the woman stated firmly.
The duty officer didn’t at once grasp her intention.
– Ma’am, are you here to file a report?
– No. I came to share a secret. Very serious. It concerns my dog. And perhaps something bigger…
– Your dog? – the officer echoed, bewildered, watching the pet trying to climb the counter, tongue lolling.
– Yes… You see, he has been… how can I phrase it… unusually lively of late. Far too much.
– Ma’am… if there’s trouble with your dog, there’s a vet clinic across the road.
– No! – she cut him off. – You don’t get it. I live alone. I spend all day with him. I notice when things shift. He’s not simply cheerful – he acts as though… as though he’s on drugs!
The officer’s face darkened.
– You mean your… dog… might be on illegal drugs?
– I can’t be sure! But please – let me talk to someone. Let them examine him. I feel something is hidden here.
A strained pause filled the hall. One young officer whispered:
– Sir, do we call a doctor? Or… social services? She’s probably unwell.
But the senior sergeant, seasoned and sharp, interjected:
– Bring her into the interview room. I’ll handle this.
The old woman sat facing him. The dog, curled at her feet, still bounced like a spring.
– Begin from the start. When did this behavior appear?
– Roughly a week ago. Before then, he was calm and sluggish. Normal for his age and weight.
– What do you feed him?
– Only senior dog food. Always the same. Morning and evening bowls. Filtered water. No bones, no treats. We walk twice daily – in the park by home in the morning, by the lake in the evening.
– Are those places monitored?
– Well… the park gets patrols sometimes. The lake, never. It’s deserted.
– Got it. And the food source?
– Always the same store nearby. I even own a discount card. But the last bag I ordered online – a courier dropped it off. Same look, same flavor… yet days later he began leaping wildly.
The sergeant directed the remaining food to a lab. The bowl was also seized. Veterinarians were asked to run toxicology on the dog.
Two days later, results arrived: traces of synthetic stimulants, analogues of banned narcotics, hidden as additives.
Though marked as a famous brand, the packaging… turned out fake.
Meanwhile, tests showed the animal’s blood contained a build-up of those compounds, even in tiny doses. This explained his manic cheerfulness.
Soon investigators traced a warehouse source. Under dog food branding, packets containing microdoses of psychoactives had spread across the area.
The scheme aimed not to alarm quickly, but to foster dependence in pets, ensuring owners kept buying that “label.”
The old woman had unwittingly triggered a wide inquiry. Her pet wasn’t alone – labs confirmed twelve further cases nearby.
Checks on shops, suppliers, and websites swept the region.
The sergeant later summoned her back.
– Ma’am, you may have rescued many households. Thank you.
He presented her a certificate of gratitude.
The dog, meanwhile, lay beneath the desk, somewhat tired – post-detox care.
– I hope he turns lazy again, like before, – she chuckled.
– If not – we’ll be here. And your dog will stay under our eye… just to be safe.
They shared a laugh.
