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A Michigan police K-9 had to undergo surgery after he devoured several garden rocks while lapping up dinner scraps from his handler, according to a report.
The Grand Rapids Police Department K-9, ironically named Rocco, had the unusual snack after his handler threw “crock pot juice” over his deck, News Channel 3 reported.
“I made some old beef sandwiches in a crock pot,” Austin Diekevers, Rocco’s handler, told the outlet. “Usually feed our chickens the scraps, and I threw it over my deck, and some of the crock pot juice got on some of my landscaping rocks.”
Within the few minutes it took Diekevers to put the crock pot away, Rocco gobbled up the leftovers — including the rocks coated in the scrumptious drippings.
“I could see that he was trying to, like, chew the rocks,” said Diekevers. “I immediately called the vet. They were not too concerned if he was having regular bowel movements, eating, and drinking.”
But after a day, Diekevers became concerned after Rocco wasn’t eating as much.
“Got a little concerned and felt his stomach, and I could actually hear the rocks inside of his stomach,” he said. “So, I knew that there was more than I had initially thought.”
Rocco was rushed to a local animal hospital, where an X-ray revealed his stomach was in fact full of rocks.
The heroic fido needed surgery to remove the lodged stones — his second harrowing ordeal at the hospital this year, the outlet reported.
In April, Rocco impaled himself on a fire pit in a freak accident and nearly bled to death, his handler said.
“The animal hospital actually saved his life in April,” Diekevers said. “Very grateful for the animal hospital. The staff, those people are absolutely fantastic there.”
Rocco is now recovering and hopes to return to duty in a week or so.
“Still on some restrictions with the incision and everything else healing yet, but he is back to his normal, happy, very high-paced self.”
