A former veterinarian technician accused of diluting morphine for animals undergoing surgery so she could steal it pleaded guilty to drug and animal cruelty charges today in Jefferson County District Court.

Amy Lynn Kanzler, 26, of Denver, pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deceit, as well as aggravated animal cruelty, both felonies.

She was arrested as a result of a West Metro Drug Task Force and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. She was accused of stealing morphine for her personal use by withdrawing it from sealed vials with a syringe, and then replacing it with water to disguise the theft.

The diluted morphine was then unwittingly be administered to animals in surgery by clinic staff.

Kanzler worked at the Willowbrook Animal Hospital in Littleton in May 2006 before taking a job at the Arvada Animal Hospital, where she worked until July 2006.

Sentencing has been set for April 5 where she faces up to four and a half years in prison.