Bucks Co. Stoned Dog Mystery Update: Where Did He Get High?

BUCKS COUNTY, PA —The Bucks County SPCA has found no evidence that a dog ingested "high levels of marijuana" during a grooming session over the weekend at the PetSmart in Fairless Hills.

Kelly Fowler of Trevose told Patch that her 1-year-old pooch Teddy wasn't wagging his tail as usual and seemed "a bit off" after picking up the dog from grooming Saturday. Fowler said she had taken Teddy there numerous times before.

The Bucks County SPCA began an investigation of the incident and contacted PetSmart to discuss the matter.

Cindy Kelly, director of communications for the Bucks County SPCA, told Patch Thursday that the BCSPCA’s chief humane officer, after reviewing video footage, found no evidence that the dog ingested anything while at the store for grooming.

"We are thankful that the dog made a full recovery," Kelly said. "Our investigation is closed."

Fowler had stated that she took Teddy to Blue Pearl Hospital in Levittown where urine and blood work determined that high levels of THC (marijuana) in his system.

Fowler said she was told that when a dog ingests it, it shows symptoms within 90 minutes, which he was with them for almost four hours.

Fowler said she filed a police report and called PetSmart's corporate office.

"I’m very upset," she said upon being told about the investigation's findings. "I know something happened to my dog while in their care, and it could have been accidental but when I picked him up he was already half asleep and falling over. They called me two times to pick him up in a 45-minute period. I feel they knew he wasn’t feeling well. I’ll never know now what actually happened."

Fowler had provided an update on Facebook Thursday morning following the news reports about the incident.

Fowler said she was going to get Teddy checked by a regular vet because he’s still exhausted and doesn’t have a full appetite, just to have reassurance.

She also felt she was being blasted on social media, with people saying "I’m making a big deal out of nothing because it’s just 'weed.'"

“My dog was given something without my permission while under the care of someone else," she said. "I picked him up thinking he was freaking dying. It’s like picking your child up from daycare and them being high, just because he’s an animal doesn’t make that ok, he’s a family member. SPCA is doing their investigation and going to see the footage. All I ever wanted out of this is to know what happened to my dog and so it doesn’t happen to anyone else! And I would never make up a lie with people saying it’s probably our own supply and we are covering it up."

"If that was the case, he wouldn’t have made it through his grooming appointment at all," Fowler said. "He would be falling asleep on the table. Obviously, it happened there!"