Anchorage Daily News

Thieves likely bent on scoring drugs to sell took home a deadly concoction during an overnight break-in at a South Anchorage veterinary clinic last week, according to Anchorage police.

During the burglary on Sept. 27, the crooks responsible broke into and emptied a daily-use, controlled-drug safe and stole altogether the main drug safe -- a gray 3-foot by 2-foot box -- from the VCA Alpine Animal Hospital at 12531 Old Seward Highway, police said.

The safes contained large amounts of drugs including ketamine, fentanyl, morphine, phenobarbital and diazepam, all of which are commonly abused by people for recreational purposes, according to police.

"Due to the extent of the burglary and the drugs stolen, Anchorage Police Department detectives are concerned for the wellbeing of the public," police Lt. Dave Parker said. "One of the drugs stolen in the burglary is only used to euthanize animals and would be immediately fatal to any person who mistakenly used it."

That drug, Euthasol, was probably picked up unintentionally in the theft, but police say they are concerned it could make its way to the market. An unsuspecting person could take it not knowing what it is, police said.

Euthasol is a powerful liquid anesthetic that when injected in relatively small doses sedates the organs, said Dr. Paul Frederickson, a veterinarian at Hillside Pet Clinic. Because of its acidity, the drug needs to be injected directly into a vein to prevent tissue death, he said.

The drug acts by shutting down the brain, lungs and heart.

"It's a general anesthetic, so when used for euthanasia it's essentially an anesthetic overdose," Frederickson said. "It's highly concentrated. It's used for euthanasia, so obviously it would be fatal."

While that drug may not have been the target, police say the others do have value for thieves. Diazepam, for example, is sold under the trade name Valium. Fentanyl is a powerful painkiller with effects Parker likened to heroin.

Police here have seen just a few vet clinics broken into for drugs, Parker said. But such burglaries are common elsewhere; in the Lower 48, clinics are major source of ketamine, he said.

Ketamine, known on the street as "Special K," is a clear liquid or white powder used as a tranquilizer on animals. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, it is a "club drug" popular among teens and young adults. It causes delirium, amnesia and can produce an out-of-body experience called a "K-Hole," according to the DEA.

A woman who answered the phone at the VCA clinic Tuesday said no one there was authorized to comment and deferred questions to the corporate offices in California. A spokeswoman there did not return a message seeking comment.

Anyone with information about the burglary should call police at 786-8900 or Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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