Senior Counsel Marisa Ong was recently mentioned in a news article on the fatal shooting of "Chop," a family dog by Border Patrol in New Mexico.
Border Patrol agents arrived at a quiet El Paso home on September 9 after receiving a tip about alleged “alien smuggling.” The 26-year-old homeowner, who requested anonymity, cooperated fully and allowed agents inside after securing his seven-year-old Rottweiler, Chop, in a bathroom. According to Marisa Ong, Senior Counsel at Singleton Schreiber, the homeowner even pointed out where the dog was confined. Despite this, an agent opened the bathroom door, released Chop, and then shot him from roughly 18 feet away. Chop died from his wounds.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed a “use of force” incident involving a canine, and the case is now under review by the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility. Reports indicate the agent who fired fled the scene as the family screamed for help. No evidence of illegal activity was found in the home.
The killing of Chop has fueled national outrage amid broader criticism of aggressive federal immigration enforcement. Representative Veronica Escobar has demanded updates on the investigation, calling the incident “inexcusable.” Ong, a former federal prosecutor, said the agent violated basic protocol by entering the home alone and questioned why he opened the bathroom door and why the gun was fired at such a distance if the dog had posed a threat.
The homeowner, devastated and unable to return to the house he was renovating, has filed the required federal claim, and the family is seeking potential animal-cruelty charges. Ong says they want transparency and accountability to ensure no family experiences such a loss again.
