Matt May had lost his pet Lab in October of 2010, and decided that he was not ready to get another dog for a while, but then a friend alerted him to a local ad they had seen online for a male Yellow Lab puppy. The woman who had placed the ad on Craig’s List had been gifted Rocky by her brother, who had gotten him from a breeder near Chico, CA. Matt found that the woman did not have much time to spend with Rocky and that he spent lot of time cooped up while she was at work. After having Rocky for a few short weeks, she placed the ad to find him a more appropriate home that had the time to dedicate to a young dog and could give him a better lifestyle.
By the time Matt contacted the woman, someone else had already met Rocky and wanted to adopt him, but those plans fell through and two weeks later, Matt received a call that Rocky was all his. Everything just came together, and Matt decided that all the signs meant that this was the right time for him to get a new Lab.
Rocky joined the May household, but it soon became obvious that he is a difficult dog for the average pet owner to handle. He had anxiety and destroyed a lot of items around the home, so they had to crate Rocky when no one was home. They were unable to take him on family outings, such as to the beach because he barked non-stop. On walks, Rocky had received no training and was all over the place.
A Ventura local, Matt knew then-SDF trainer Lyz Gregory through their mutual hobby, a canoeing club, and spoke to her about Rocky’s search dog potential. They planned for Matt to bring Rocky to SDF’s National Training Center (NTC) for an evaluation and he passed, but then the family felt that they were not able to let go of their beloved pet. Matt’s daughters were especially attached to Rocky and very upset at the thought of giving him up.
A few more months with Rocky in their home convinced the May’s it was right move for everyone to donate him to SDF. Their lives became much easier, and our training updates helped the daughters to know that Rocky was doing something worthwhile.
After spending 9 months at the NTC with Lyz and the other trainers, Rocky graduated from our training program and was partnered with Fire Rescue Specialist Robert Grant of the Plano Fire Department on November 14, 2014. Rocky flew with Robert to his new home as a member of Texas Task Force 2.
The team began training daily, building a bond and practicing the special skills they learned at the NTC in preparation for their test within the State Urban Search & Rescue (SUSAR) system, which would allow them to deploy with the task force. Robert and Rocky achieved their advanced Type I SUSAR Certification on April 28, 2015. They would now be ready to help search for missing people when disaster inevitably struck their region.
They did not have to wait long. One month later, Texas Task Force 2 deployed to San Marcos, TX to assist residents whose homes had been devastated by severe flooding. For six days they worked in cooperation with Texas Task Force 1 to cover the entire flood zone, help citizens and ensure that everyone was accounted for. Robert said his canine partner did a great job out there and he knew that each deployment would make them a more solid team.
Robert and Rocky deployed again shortly after that on December 26, 2015, when a series of deadly tornadoes struck Garland, TX and the surrounding areas. Mutual aid from Dallas County called in well over 20 fire agencies and after two days of relentless search efforts, all citizens were accounted for, and clean-up efforts could begin.
The team deployed several more times over the next five years:
- April 2, 2017 – Tornado pre-staging – Dallas, TX
- May 1, 2017 – Tornadoes – Canton, TX
- August 24, 207 – Hurricane Harvey – San Antonio, TX
- September 8, 2018 – Building Collapse – Dallas, TX
- June 9, 2019 – Building Collapse – Dallas, TX
- May 22, 2020 – Tornado pre-staging – Montague County, TX
After a year and a half off active duty due to surgery, and the pandemic, Rocky and Robert officially retired from the task force on June 30, 2021. Rocky will now enjoy life as a family pet in the Grant home and is free to enjoy his senior years playing fetch and lounging around the house. We will continue to keep the May family in the loop about how Rocky spends his days, happy and healthy in eastern Texas.
Thank you, Rocky and Robert, for your service to the citizens of this nation! We are forever grateful.