HOUSTON – A U.S. Marshals Service K-9 officer has defied the odds by returning to full-time duty after sustaining two gunshot wounds during a high-stakes manhunt earlier this year.
Rocky, one of only six tactical K-9s serving with the U.S. Marshals nationwide and assigned to the Southern District of Texas, sustained bullet injuries to his nose and neck while tracking down a suspect accused of killing Brazoria County Deputy Jesus Vargas in January.
The dramatic incident unfolded on live television when Rocky located the suspect, Robert Lee Davis, hiding in a dumpster in southwest Houston.
“We were concerned that the dog would not survive,” said Jeremy Smith, Chief of K-9 Operations for the U.S. Marshals Service. “You never know exactly how it’s going to turn out, you know, how resilient these animals are and how resilient our people are. But in the back of your head, you’re just thinking, yeah, I’m just praying and hoping that he’s going make it. And you’re not even thinking about in the realm of them coming back to service.”
Specialized K-9 Makes Swift Recovery
Following the shooting, Rocky received emergency veterinary care at Westbury Animal Hospital, where he remained under treatment for two days with his handler at his side.
The K-9 officer’s recovery proved remarkably swift, with Rocky being discharged ahead of schedule.
At the time of his care, Dr. Jeff Chalkley, a veterinarian at Westbury Animal Hospital, said one of the injuries was a bullet wound in the left nostril. The medical team closed it up and provided oxygen to help Rocky breathe. He also had two wounds on his right side.
One of the bullets narrowly missed Rocky’s spine, Chalkley said, but miraculously, none of the bullets hit any vital organs.
“He’s the luckiest dog I’ve seen,” Chalkley said during a Jan. 16 press conference. “I mean, definitely. I don’t know if you call that luck or the hand of God. But that bullet, I mean, could have ended his life instantly.”
Smith said Rocky doesn’t have visible scarring from his snout injury.
“For it to happen like this, it was absolutely unexpected,” Smith said. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a scenario quite like this.”
Less than two weeks after the incident, Rocky traveled to Florida for what was initially planned as re-socialization training with other dogs.
But his performance exceeded all expectations.
“We always train above what our standards are, well above it, and we feel like if we train extremely high, that when we do hit the actual event, that it will be no issues,” Smith said. “He went all out, and we put everything we could on him, and he passed with flying colors.”
Return to Active Service
Rocky’s return to service has been nothing short of extraordinary, following the incident that happened just months into his service with the U.S. Marshals.
Now, the tactical K-9 is just as busy if not busier than before, Smith said, noting that he has participated in up to eight arrest warrant operations in a single day throughout the Southern District of Texas.
“He is involved in just about anything that they have going in the area, so much so that he has to be selective,” Smith said, noting that the handler has to manage assignments to prevent possible burnout.
The shooting marked only the second time in U.S. Marshals history that a tactical K-9 has been shot in the line of duty, Smith said.
Rocky’s specialized skills make him an invaluable asset to the U.S. Marshals Service. As one of only six tactical K-9s in the entire country, his successful recovery and return to duty maintain crucial operational capabilities for the agency’s fugitive apprehension efforts.
“The whole goal of our program is to create time and distance from a threat,” Smith said. “We wish, and our hope and training style, we hope those result in a person giving up because of the canine and because of their presence, we can get out in front of any conflict, physical or otherwise.”
Rocky’s valor was recognized at a Crime Stoppers award ceremony, where he stood alongside the family of Deputy Vargas, honoring both their service and sacrifice.
“When a dog is involved in this aspect, where he made a big difference in saving lives, then it really brings it home and, you know, that kind of a hero mentality that everybody loves to hear,” Smith said. “I get chills thinking about it.”
