The police station was calm. It was around ten in the morning. Suddenly, an elderly woman, about seventy years old, confidently entered, holding an unusually plump, reddish dog on a leash. The dog wagged its tail, jumped slightly on the spot, and looked, to say the least, overly lively.

– Good morning. I need to speak with your chief, – the woman said calmly.

The on-duty officer did not immediately understand what she meant.

– Ma’am, do you want to file a report?

– No. I want to tell a secret. Very important. It concerns my dog. And possibly something more…

– The dog? – the officer repeated, surprised, looking at the dog, who was trying to climb onto the counter with its front paws, tongue hanging out.

– Yes… You see, he is… how shall I say… too cheerful lately. Even too much.

– Ma’am… if there’s something wrong with your dog, there’s a veterinary clinic across the street.

– No! – she interrupted sharply. – You don’t understand. I live alone. I’m with him every day. I see that something has changed. He’s not just enjoying life – he behaves as if… as if he’s on substances!

The officer frowned.

– You mean your… dog… is taking illegal substances?

– I don’t know! But please – let me speak to someone. Let them check the dog. I feel there’s something behind this.

An awkward silence followed. One of the younger officers muttered quietly:

– Sir, should we call a doctor? Or… social services? This woman isn’t in her right mind.

But the senior sergeant, a man with intuition and much experience, suddenly said:

– Take her to the interrogation room. I’ll talk to her.

The elderly woman sat opposite the sergeant. The dog, lying at her feet, continued to bounce like a spring.

– Let’s start from the beginning. How long has he been acting this way?

– About a week. Before that, he was slow and calm. As expected for a dog of his age and build.

– What do you feed him?

– Only one type of food. Special for elderly dogs. He has always eaten it. One bowl in the morning, one in the evening. Filtered water. No bones, no treats. We walk twice a day – in the morning in the park behind the house, and in the evening by the lake.

– Are the places where you walk supervised?

– Well… the park is sometimes patrolled. At the lake, there’s no one. It’s quiet there.

– Understood. And where do you buy the food?

– Always at the same store near home. I even have a discount card. But the last package I ordered online – the courier delivered it straight home. Same package, same flavor… but he started bouncing like crazy a few days later.

The sergeant ordered the leftover food to be sent to a lab. The dog’s bowl was also examined. As a precaution, veterinarians tested for substances in the animal’s system.

Two days later, the report arrived: traces of synthetic psychostimulants were found in the food – analogs of banned substances, disguised as fat-soluble additives.

The food was indeed produced by a well-known company, but the packaging… was fake.

Meanwhile, the dog’s examination showed traces of accumulation of these substances in the blood, even in small doses. This explained his “cheerful” behavior.

Soon, they located the warehouse from which the “fake” food came. Under the guise of dog food, small batches with microdoses of psychoactive substances were distributed in the region.

According to the criminals’ plan, these doses would not immediately raise suspicion, but over time would create dependency in the animals, prompting owners to buy that particular “brand.”

The elderly woman, entirely unintentionally, initiated a large-scale investigation. Her dog was not the only one – labs confirmed another 12 cases in neighboring districts.

A wave of inspections of stores, suppliers, and online shops began.

The senior sergeant called the woman again.

– Ma’am, you may have saved dozens of families. Thank you.

He handed her an official certificate of appreciation.

The dog, meanwhile, sat under the table, a bit drowsy – after veterinary detoxification.

– I hope he becomes lazy again, like before, – the woman smiled.

– Well, if needed – we’ll be here. And your dog will always be under our supervision… just in case.

They both laughed.