A Northern California police officer is being hailed by his department after he helped save the life of a puppy that had ingested fentanyl.
The dog, named Wednesday, could barely breathe and was “struggling to survive” when the owner brought the animal to the Yuba City Police Department about 9 a.m. Friday, authorities said in a social media post.
Police said the man was “hysterically upset,” telling officers that someone had given Wednesday the dangerous opioid.
Officer Steven DeNeef, who has been on the force since 2019, “rushed to save Wednesday,” reviving the dog with two doses of Narcan, an antidote for opioids that is standard issue for law enforcement in most California agencies.
“The owner, Wednesday, and our department (are) extremely thankful and proud of Officer DeNeef,” officials said.
DeNeef has demonstrated heroics before.
He was honored last year with an award after his quick actions saved a victim’s life in October. The award was given by Project Humanize, a nonprofit organization hosted by the Relentless Defender Foundation, with a mission to “humanize the badge,” and recognize acts of service by officers.
DeNeef was dispatched on a call of a reported stabbing, and the victim passed out as he performed a physical assessment to find stab wounds. The officer “immediately began administering CPR” until the person regained consciousness, according to Yuba City police.
DeNeef found several stab wounds on the victim, one of which was life-threatening. He “expertly” sealed the victim’s wounds and placed a tourniquet on the left arm, which medical staff confirmed ultimately saved the victim’s life, according to Yuba City officials.