In honor of International Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, a very special class was held in Loxahatchee. With just one spray, Narcan can save the lives of woman, man and man’s best friend.Luis Garcia showed dozens of dog owners how to administer the medicine.”For an older dog, spray it in the snout, for a puppy or a small dog, spray it in their mouth,” Garcia said. Like 13-year-old Harley, who was happy to lend a paw posing as a dog that overdosed while Garcia sent an important message to all dog owners.”They need to be aware that this can happen any time, anywhere, even in a million-dollar gated community,” he said. Retired after 28 years as a firefighter paramedic, Garcia says now more than ever before, South Florida streets are flooded with opioids.”It could happen on a walk down city place, anywhere, their dog could ingest an opioid,” he said. That’s exactly what happened to one little local pup whose life was saved recently because his owner had attended one of Garcia’s trainings. So they knew to alert an Okeechobee deputy who administered Narcan. “The puppy lived, so now we’ve saved 350 lives and one puppy in six years with our giveaways,” he said of the free Narcan.It’s all funded by his nonprofit, USA Opioid Crisis Mortality Reduction, named after his life’s mission. Garcia will be hosting additional classes where he’ll be handing out free Narcan throughout Palm Beach County through Sept. 3. For times and locations, click here.
In honor of International Opioid Overdose Awareness Day, a very special class was held in Loxahatchee. With just one spray, Narcan can save the lives of woman, man and man’s best friend.
Luis Garcia showed dozens of dog owners how to administer the medicine.
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“For an older dog, spray it in the snout, for a puppy or a small dog, spray it in their mouth,” Garcia said.
Like 13-year-old Harley, who was happy to lend a paw posing as a dog that overdosed while Garcia sent an important message to all dog owners.
“They need to be aware that this can happen any time, anywhere, even in a million-dollar gated community,” he said.
Retired after 28 years as a firefighter paramedic, Garcia says now more than ever before, South Florida streets are flooded with opioids.
“It could happen on a walk down city place, anywhere, their dog could ingest an opioid,” he said.
That’s exactly what happened to one little local pup whose life was saved recently because his owner had attended one of Garcia’s trainings. So they knew to alert an Okeechobee deputy who administered Narcan.
“The puppy lived, so now we’ve saved 350 lives and one puppy in six years with our giveaways,” he said of the free Narcan.
It’s all funded by his nonprofit, USA Opioid Crisis Mortality Reduction, named after his life’s mission.
Garcia will be hosting additional classes where he’ll be handing out free Narcan throughout Palm Beach County through Sept. 3.
For times and locations, click here.