K-9 Stabbing in Solano County Prompts PETA Plea For Dog’s Retirement and Department Overhaul

For Immediate Release:
April 9, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

Following reports that a K-9 named Ty was stabbed by a suspect after a failed traffic stop in Fairfield, PETA sent a letter today to Solano County Sheriff Brad DeWall, urging him to retire Ty—and for the use of police dogs to be phased out altogether. In the letter, PETA encourages the department to replace K‑9s with state-of-the-art policing technology, such as tactical robots, drones, and/or portable mass spectrometers. Several departments across the country use tactical robots, which can be deployed in situations that could otherwise result in serious injury or death for K-9s and human officers.

According to reports, a driver was traveling dangerously slow on Interstate 80 in Dixon, sparking a slow-speed chase into Fairfield after refusing to pull over. After the California Highway Patrol disabled the vehicle by deploying a spike strip, Ty was released to “assist with the arrest” and was repeatedly stabbed in the neck and leg by the suspect. Ty was taken to a local emergency veterinary clinic, stabilized, and transferred to UC Davis Veterinary Hospital for emergency surgery. He is now recovering at home.

“Human officers willingly take on the daily risks of their duties, but K-9s like Ty have no say in whether they’re subjected to dangerously stressful or even life-or-death situations,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “Ty suffered through and survived a violent attack, and PETA is urging the Solano County Sheriff’s Office to retire Ty immediately and seize this moment to reassess its use of dogs.”

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 DeWall follows.

April 9, 2026

Sheriff Brad DeWall

Solano County Sheriff’s Office

Via e-mail

Dear Sheriff DeWall:

I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) regarding K-9 Ty, who was injured during a suspect pursuit. We understand that many K-9s are regarded as colleagues and members of their handlers’ families, and we wish him a speedy recovery. Given this incident, would you please retire Ty and consider this an opportunity to reassess the use of dogs?

Ty is not the only K-9 who has been injured in the line of duty, but he’s among the few who have survived. K-9 Sheik of the Wheeling Police Department in West Virginia recently died after she was struck by a car. A few months before Sheik died, K-9 Spike of the Burbank Police Department in California was fatally shot while pursuing a suspect who’d fled from a traffic stop. Earlier in the year, K-9 Rebel of the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico was shot during a suspect pursuit and died a short time later at an emergency veterinary clinic. K-9 Azi of the McKinney Police Department in Texas was fatally injured during an “exchange of gunfire” between officers and a suspect. There certainly have been more fatal assaults against K-9s that weren’t reported publicly.

Unlike their human counterparts, K-9s do not sign up to risk their lives. They are loyal and protective, but they cannot consent to be used in violent encounters they did not cause or escalate. Veterinary experts and the U.S. military recognize that dogs like Ty, in addition to suffering the immediate physical pain and other effects of life-threatening injuries, can experience fear and anxiety from post-traumatic stress for the rest of their lives.

Will you please plan now to use state-of-the-art technology, such as tactical robots, drones, or portable mass spectrometers, which enhance safety and operational efficiency without risking anyone’s life, once your current K-9s have been retired? Your department may be able to secure grant funding for new technology through the California Grants Portal, the DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. You might also find private or equipment-specific grant funding opportunities through PoliceGrantsHelp.com.

Thank you for your consideration and for all that you do to keep your community safe.

Most respectfully,

Allison Fandl

Manager of Special Projects

Cruelty Investigations Department | PETA