Faced with a lawsuit, Progreso gives away police dog

PROGRESO, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — Ozzy is no longer a problem for the city of Progreso.

Progreso donated Ozzy, a police dog with a reputation for aggressive behavior, to Santa Rosa on Monday afternoon.

“They asked if we needed a dog,” said Santa Rosa police Chief Ronnie Hernandez, who is also the department’s K-9 handler. “And yeah, of course.”

Progreso acquired Ozzy from the Sector K9 Foundation, which trains police dogs.

In December 2021, however, the officer who trained with Ozzy resigned. Progreso never hired a replacement.

Without a K-9 handler on staff, Progreso police Chief Cesar Solis started taking care of Ozzy himself.

In April 2022, when Ozzy bit a police officer, Assistant City Manager Francisco “Frank” Alanis asked Solis to keep Ozzy at home, according to a lawsuit Solis filed against Progreso in August.

“An aggressive canine, Ozzy prevented (and still prevents) the Chief and his family from playing in the Chief’s backyard,” according to the lawsuit . “In fact, Ozzy bit a visitor in March of 2024, ripping her leggings.”

Solis cared for Ozzy from 2022 to 2024, according to the lawsuit, which claims that Progreso failed to pay him overtime.

Ozzy never returned to work.

“It’s my understanding that the city has not been using the dog for the last two years,” said Progreso Mayor Hugo Gamboa.

On Monday — 10 days after Solis filed the lawsuit — the Progreso City Council donated Ozzy to Santa Rosa.

“What we’re trying to do is remove the dog from Chief Solis,” Gamboa said, and give Ozzy to a police department with the appropriate training.

Ozzy’s reputation for aggressive behavior didn’t bother the Santa Rosa Police Department.

While they might need a muzzle at first, Hernandez said Ozzy would slowly become comfortable with him and other Santa Rosa police officers.

“It’s like any other dog,” Hernandez said. “That’s their behavior, right?”

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