A drunk Chihuahua was unfortunately rushed to a Pittsburgh area emergency veterinarian after he was discovered lapping up vodka and showing signs of alcohol poisoning after ingesting spilled liquor in a car with a suspected drunken driver behind the wheel, police said.
Thomas Bloedel, 44, appeared to be heavily intoxicated and with his little Chihuahua named Maxwell, who had been by his side drinking the spilled liquor, Thursday afternoon when officers found him inside a vehicle resting against a fence on Cypress Drive in Bethel Park, Police Chief Timothy O’Connor said.
Vodka had been spilled on the floor of the car and was being lapped up by the dog, O’Connor said. The animal was taken to University Veterinary Specialists in Peters Township as a precaution.
When Bethel Police arrived on the scene, Bloedel even threatened to shoot and kill the responding officers before being arrested.
“A gentleman was intoxicated in a car and I guess had vodka in the car that spilled and Maxwell got into it and drank some,” explained the dog’s veterinarian, Dr. Dimitri Brown. “Evidence of poisoning from the alcohol; he was stumbling around like a person who was drunk. His pupils were dilated.”
After being treated overnight, the dog was doing well Friday as the dog was back to acting like a normal pooch and has not shown any lingering signs of his dangerous encounter with alcohol.
“He is already back to his normal self, not showing any signs of what happened,” Brown said. “Looks like a different dog than the dog presented last night.”
Bloedel was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. An online docket shows that his charges include misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and terroristic threats, and a summary offense of animal cruelty. It is not known if Maxwell would be returned to his owner.