BURGLARS PROWL FOR PET DRUGS

As if veterinarians don't have enough to worry about in taking care of
sick cats and dogs, they now have to figure out ways to outsmart
burglars seeking ketamine.

Ketamine hydrochloride is primarily used legally as an animal
anesthetic. Its illegal use has become associated with the druggy rave
culture of all-night dance parties.

Attempted burglaries occurred at Aalatash Animal Hospital on S. Main
Street on Dec. 17 and Feb. 11. It was burglarized Jan. 16 with
ketamine taken, Gainesville Police Officer Keith Kameg said.

All Cats Health Care on NW 13th Street was burglarized Jan. 16. An
attempted burglary occurred Nov. 4. It was burglarized twice in
August, when the culprits took and then returned a euthanasia
solution, Kameg said.

"In these seven cases we currently have no suspects," Kameg said. "The
fact that they are kicking in doors and windows, and going to the same
clinics, would indicate they are related. I would be very surprised if
you had seven different individuals doing this. And you would think
the person is not too skilled, which would indicate a drug user who is
not sure what he is doing and is easily scared off."

Kameg said the fact that the burglars found ketamine in only one case
indicates the veterinarians are doing a good job at securing the drug.

But Dr. Patti Gordon, All Cats owner, said the trouble caused by the
burglaries goes beyond the theft of drugs.

"Every time I get a call (about a burglary) it puts me in a sense of
panic. My main concern is that my animals are not being jeopardized,
that the patients I care for are not being harmed," Gordon said. "The
last break-in made me angrier than the other two because my hospital
cat was lost for a good 12 to 16 hours before we found her. She was
petrified. That made me angrier than losing money or computer files or
drugs. That involved an animal, and I just don't have any patience for
that."

Ketamine as a liquid injection is its most potent form, according to
the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. But it
also can be made into powder for inhaling or pills for swallowing.

It produces a dissociative -- or out of body -- state with
hallucinogenic effects and impaired perception. The high can last four
to six hours, and it can take 24 to 48 hours for the user to feel
completely normal.

Most veterinarians now lock ketamine in hidden spots, sometimes
rotating the location. Many have upgraded their security systems.

Ketamine last year was listed as a Schedule III drug by the federal
Drug Enforcement Administration. The listing makes possession by an
unauthorized person a felony and requires veterinarians to keep
records of all the ketamine they receive, use and dispense.

The listing was supported strongly by the American Veterinary Medical
Association, said Dr. Elizabeth Curry-Galvin, association assistant
director of scientific activities.

"We think ketamine is a very safe and important prescription drug for
animals, but on the flip side, we are cognizant of the potential for
break-ins," Curry-Galvin said. "To the veterinary profession, ketamine
is such a good drug for animal use, but we are astounded beyond belief
that people would use it for abuse."

Curry-Galvin said veterinary clinics nationwide have been burglarized.
She said an organized ring of burglars hit clinics in suburban Chicago
near the association's headquarters.

Dr. Nanette Perratto-Wagner of the Millhopper Veterinary Clinic,
secretary of the Alachua Veterinary Medical Association, said
precautions to prevent ketamine theft are now a routine part of the
business.

"Every veterinary practice that I know of has a drug lock-box. It's a
double-sealed secure box that is bolted into the facility. It makes it
difficult but not impossible -- if somebody is determined they can get
in," she said. "It is simply one aspect of the business operation that
everybody is aware of now."