U.S. Border Patrol Must Answer for Agent’s Alleged Abuse of K-9 With Dog’s Removal, Third-Party Investigation, Says PETA

For Immediate Release:
January 3, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

In response to a witness report alleging that a U.S. Border Patrol Agent aggressively kneed a K-9 repeatedly at the Falfurrias Station Traffic Check Point on County Road 300 on January 1, PETA rushed a letter today to top U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials Pete Flores and John Modlin requesting several urgent actions from the agency, including that it remove the K-9 from the suspect’s custody, reassign the handler to duties not involving contact with animals, and ensure that the “full investigation” into the incident—which was promised by Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez—will be conducted externally by an unbiased third party, such as the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office.

“If a border patrol agent was bold enough to repeatedly knee a K-9 in full view of waiting cars, the thought of what could be happening to this dog out of public sight is truly chilling,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is calling on the agency to remove the dog from this callous person’s custody at once and make good on its word for a robust investigation.”

PETA—which encourages law enforcement to replace the use of K-9s with state-of-the-art technology, such as tactical robots, drones, or portable mass spectrometers—points out that K-9s risk their lives for humans and that the bare minimum they should receive in return is to live without abuse from humans. PETA tracks cases of violence against K-9s on its website here.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Flores and Modlin follows.

January 3, 2025

Pete R. Flores, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner

John Modlin, Acting Deputy Commissioner

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Dear Messrs. Flores and Modlin:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has viewed video footage reportedly showing a U.S. Border Patrol agent abusing a K-9 at Falfurrias Station. In the footage, the handler is seen swinging her right leg back and bringing her knee forward at the dog, whose leash she is holding. The witness was reportedly told by Border Patrol agents that K-9 handlers “discipline dogs in their own ways.” We are writing to seek your assurance that this incident will be properly addressed.

First, we respectfully request that the K-9 be removed immediately from this handler’s custody and that the officer be reassigned to duties that do not involve having contact with animals.

Second, we ask for your clarification whether the “full investigation into this event” referenced in the statement by Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez is an external investigation conducted by a third party, such as the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. The actions captured in the footage may violate Texas’ cruelty to non-livestock animals statute (V.T.C.A., Penal Code § 42.092).

Third, based on our experience with similar cases across the nation, we recommend a thorough review of policies and training for K-9 handlers—including proper first aid techniques, approved by veterinarians, if dogs are in fact choking—so that only nonviolent, humane methods are used. Not only is such violence cruel, it’s also ineffective. Experts agree that dogs learn and maintain desirable behavior best when trained with a reward-based system and that frightening or traumatic treatment induces fear and anxiety.

PETA works with and supports law-enforcement agencies across the country, often collaborating to investigate, charge, and prosecute animal abusers. Incidents in which officers commit acts of cruelty against K-9 partners are deeply upsetting for the communities that look to them not only to uphold the law but also to act as role models. If your agency is unable to guarantee that its K-9s are treated humanely, we recommend phasing out and replacing them with state-of-the-art technology, such as tactical robots, drones, or portable mass spectrometers.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. I can be reached at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Most respectfully,

Allison Fandl

Manager of Special Projects

Cruelty Investigations Department | PETA