Pharmacist Sentenced in Case Involving Dog’s Death and Misuse of Pharmaceuticals

A year after deputies discovered controlled dangerous substances (CDS) in a trash can, a pharmacist was sentenced to prison for using those substances to kill his dog.

Just the Facts

In July 2024, in Hartford County, Maryland, deputies received a report of CDS found in a garbage can. A homeowner had discovered them when bringing his supposedly empty trash can back to his house from the curb. Deputies who responded found syringes and 2 vials of medication. One vial was labeled succinylcholine; the other label had been stripped from the vial but was ultimately determined to be rocuronium.

Deputies spoke to other homeowners and learned that a neighbor’s 6-year-old Plott Hound, Louie, had just passed away. The dog’s owner was a local, 38-year-old pharmacist named Ryan Kenneth Ball.

Hartford County’s Animal Control launched an investigation into the dog’s death with the assistance of the Hartford County deputies. The investigation revealed that Ball did not like the dog and had offered to pay others to take him. After Louie’s death, Ball had taken the body to a local veterinarian for cremation.

Authorities intercepted the transport to the crematorium, sending the dog’s body instead to the Pennsylvania State University Animal Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy. Tissue samples were sent to the Michigan State University Diagnostic Laboratory for testing, which revealed that the dog’s heart blood contained rocuronium and succinylcholine. Louie’s death was determined to be due to an overdose of rocuronium, a neuromuscular blocking agent.

Rocuronium and succinylcholine are generally used in rapid-sequence intubation in hospital or emergency settings. The drugs are used to relax skeletal muscles during surgery. They are used in conjunction with mechanical ventilation, as they can decrease respiration.

The vials recovered from the trash bore warnings identifying them as paralyzing agents requiring assisted ventilation. Records confirmed they had been ordered from the same medical center where Ball was employed. It was ultimately determined that Ball used his access at the medical center to obtain the drugs and take them home.

The Takeaway

Ball pled guilty to 1 count of aggravated animal cruelty and 1 count of obtaining a prescription by fraud. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison, with all but 1 year suspended. He is prohibited from owning an animal while on probation. In addition, he has been referred to the state Board of Pharmacy for a review of his license.

“Medical professionals in this county are placed in a position of extreme trust. Utilizing your license and position in a local hospital to illegally obtain medications and improperly administer them to kill your family dog is a gross violation of the trust placed in this defendant in his position as a medical professional,” said Maryland State Attorney Alison Healey in a statement. “Holding the defendant accountable in this case is important in deterring him and others from future misuse of medications available in the capacity of their employment.”

Reference

RE: State v. Ryan Kenneth Ball. Office of the State’s Attorney, Hartford County, Maryland. Published on July 1, 2025. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.harfordcountystatesattorney.org/local-pharmacist-convicted-of-prescription-fraud-and-aggravated-animal-cruelty/