A heroic K-9 officer with the U.S. Marshals is on the road to recovery after being shot during a high-stakes manhunt in Texas.
K-9 Rocky, a German Shepherd, was instrumental in locating a suspect accused of killing a Brazoria County deputy near Houston before being wounded in a shootout. Despite his injuries, officials say Rocky is expected to make a full recovery and return to duty.
Officials with the U.S. Marshals Office and the veterinarian clinic Rocky is being treated at gave an update on his condition Thursday.
Dr. Jeff Chalkley, a veterinarian at Westbury Animal Hospital, said Rocky was flown to the clinic after the shooting. The Texas DPS helicopter transporting Rocky landed near the clinic and he was then carried inside.
Chalkley said they had protocols already in place for handling K-9 officers as they have treated them before. He said Rocky was triaged for multiple gunshot wounds. After that, he was stabilized and surgery was performed Thursday morning.
Chalkley said one of the wounds was a bullet wound in the left nostril. They were able to close the wound up and provided Rocky oxygen to help him breathe better.
There were also two wounds on Rocky’s right side. One of the bullets narrowly missed Rocky’s spine, but miraculously, none of the bullets hit any vital organs.
“He’s the luckiest dog I’ve seen,” Chalkley said. “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.”
“Rocky saved lives, he saved lives of deputies,” said U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas T. Michael O’Connor.
O’Connor said it looks like Rocky will return to full function and his duties but that it could take a while. Chalkley agreed with the statement.
“He should return to full function, I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t return,” Chalkley said.
Rocky’s handler has stayed by his side since the incident. The U.S. Marshals office reported that Rocky was bleeding from more than one area and described his injuries as being shot “multiple times.”
Rocky is now resting on pain meds and fluids. He is already eating, drinking, and walking again.
Rocky will remains at the animal hospital Thursday night for continued observation. Chalkley says they believe Rocky will be released within 48 hours.
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What happened?
The shootout happened Wednesday as law enforcement pursued 56-year-old Robert Lee Davis III, the suspect in the fatal shooting of Brazoria County deputy Jesus Vargas. Davis was located hiding in a dumpster near the scene of the earlier shooting.
Rocky was instrumental in locating Davis, but the suspect opened fire, hitting Rocky twice—once in the chest and once in the nose. Officers returned fire, striking Davis multiple times and killing him at the scene.
Following the shootout, officers were seen carrying Rocky to a helicopter for transport to Westbury Animal Hospital.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz praised the K-9′s bravery, saying, “They’re part of our existence as a police department, as law enforcement in general. Whether it’s bombs, drugs, you name it—saving lives, those dogs are amazing, and they’re part of us.”