Maryland pharmacist sentenced for animal cruelty after using prescription drugs to kill dog

CBS News

5 days ago

A pharmacist in Maryland was sentenced to one year in prison after using prescription drugs to kill his dog, according to the Harford County State's Attorney's Office.
Ryan Kenneth Ball, 38, of Bel Air, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and obtaining prescriptions by fraud. In his sentencing, a judge ordered that he be prohibited from owning any animals while on probation.
Dead dog leads to charges for pharmacist
On July 17, 2024, Harford County Sheriff's deputies found syringes and two prescription drug vials in a neighbor's trash can.
One of the vials had been stripped of its label, but it was determined to be rocuronium, a paralytic agent often used during anesthesia. The second vial was determined to be succinylcholine, a similar paralytic.
According to court documents, the homeowner told officers that their neighbor's 6-year-old Plott Hound dog, Louie, had died.
Ball was identified as Louie's owner, documents show. Officials also learned that Ball was a licensed pharmacist at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center.
Investigation into dog's death
Harford County Animal Control aided in the investigation into Louie's death and learned that Ball did not like the dog.
The investigation revealed that Ball tried to pay people to take Louie.
After the dog died, its body was taken to a local vet for cremation. Officials were able to stop the cremation and instead sent Louie's body to a lab for an autopsy.
A toxilogical test found that Louie's heart contained rocuronium and succinylcholine. Louie's cause of death was determined to be an overdose of rocuronium, court documents show.
The drugs are often used to relax a patient's muscles during surgery. They can lead to breathing issues and even death if the patient is not ventilated, according to court documents.
Officials said Louie would have experienced "awareness with paralysis" after the drugs were administered.
Pharmacy license under review
Records from the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center showed that the prescriptions were ordered by the hospital for routine use.
Both vials had warning labels that read, "Warning: Paralyzing agent. Patient must be ventilated. Causes respirator arrest," according to court documents.
Officials determined that Ball used his access to the medical center to take the drugs home.
Ball was referred to the Board of Pharmacy for his license to be reviewed.
WJZ reached out to the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center for comment.