Man Sentenced for Murdering Pet Dog He Reportedly Didn't Want
A Maryland man has been sentenced after pleading guilty of killing his six-year-old dog, whom neighbors say he couldn’t stand and kept trying to give up for adoption.
Ryan Kenneth Ball, a 38-year-old pharmacist from Bel Air, MD, pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty and obtaining prescription by fraud in connection with the July 2024 death of his dog. On July 17, police responded to a report of a controlled dangerous substance being found in Ball’s neighborhood. The officers learned during their visit that Ball’s dog had recently died. Shortly thereafter, they found syringes and two vials in Ball’s trash can.
A joint investigation on behalf of the Hartford County Animal Control and the sheriff’s office found that Ball was reportedly at odds with the six-year-old Plott Hound named Louie and repeatedly tried to pay people to take the dog from him. Animal Control was able to intercede before Louie was cremated and conducted an autopsy, which found that he died due to an overdose of rocuronium, with traces of succinylcholine also found in the canine’s system. Both drugs are used as muscle relaxants for human patients undergoing surgery and can lead to death if not properly ventilated. Ball had access to both substances through his pharmacological practice and used his position there to obtain the drugs illegally.
Ball was sentenced to five years in prison for the crime, though a majority of his sentence was suspended. He is expected to spend about one year in custody. In addition to being prohibited from owning any animals while on probation, Ball’s pharmacist license is set to be reviewed by the Board of Pharmacy.