- Maryland, USA -
Harford County State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey announced that on July 1, 2025, 38-year-old RYAN KENNETH BALL (pictured) of Bel Air, pled guilty to one count of aggravated animal cruelty and one count of obtain prescription by fraud.
According to the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, BALL, a licensed pharmacist at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, used prescriptions drugs to kill his dog, a six-year-old Plott Hound named Louie.
It all started on July 17, 2024, when BALL’s neighbor discovered two vials at the bottom of their trash cans and alerted the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the press release by Harford County State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey, responding deputies found “syringes and two prescription vials. One vial’s label was stripped, but ultimately determined to be rocuronium, and the other was labeled 'succinylcholine’”.
Deputies spoke to the caller and to other neighbors. Neighbors told deputies they learned that Louie had died and that his guardian, BALL, was a pharmacist.
At that point, Harford County Animal Control, with the assistance of the sheriff’s office, launched an investigation into Louie’s death.
From the investigation it emerged that BALL did not like Louie and even tried to pay others to take him.
When Animal Control Officers learned that Louie was taken to a local veterinarian to be cremated, they contacted the veterinarian, were able to stop the cremation, and instead sent Louie to the Pennsylvania State University Animal Diagnostic Laboratory for a necropsy.
The Director of the Veterinary Forensics Program discovered a hemorrhage near Louie’s jugular groove and sent tissue samples to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for testing.
The Penn State University Veterinary Director determined that Louie’s cause of death was due to an overdose of rocuronium, a neuromuscular blocking agent.
Louie’s heart blood contained 2,400 ng/mL of rocuronium and less than 5 ng/ML of succinylcholine.
As explained in the press release, “….rocuronium and succinylcholine are two drugs generally used in Rapid Sequence Intubation in hospital and emergency medical settings. These drugs are generally used to relax skeletal muscles during surgery, so hospital personnel can operate on a patient. Typically, these drugs are used in combination with sedatives and mechanically assisted ventilation as they can decrease breathing and other vital processes to the extent that death will ensue if ventilation is not supported.”
Harford County State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey said that other pharmacy experts were consulted during the investigation and found that if a patient, such as Louie, were administered these drugs without respiratory support or sedatives, the patient would experience “awareness with paralysis” and would be conscious as the drugs took effect.
A warrant for BALL’s arrest was issued and served on February 5, 2025, after he was indicted by a grand jury on February 4, 2025. BALL served on home detention until his plea on July 1, 2025.
The Honorable Judge Paul W. Ishak sentenced BALL to five years, all suspended but one at the Harford County Detention Center. Ishak also ordered that the BALL is prohibited from possessing any animals while on probation.
Additionally, BALL has been referred to the Board of Pharmacy for a review of his license.
In a written statement, State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey said: “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. 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.”
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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the press release by the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.
BALL’s mugshot provided to Voice For Us by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Louie’s photo provided to Voice For Us by the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office.
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