K-9 Shot in Fort Lauderdale Prompts PETA Plea For Dog’s Retirement and Department Overhaul

For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7383

Following reports that a K-9 named Appie was shot by a burglary suspect on Saturday, PETA sent a letter today to Fort Lauderdale Police Chief William Schultz, urging him to retire Appie—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.

“Police officers willingly take on the daily risks of their duties, but dogs like Appie don’t get to choose,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “Appie suffered a violent attack and PETA is urging the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to retire him immediately and take the opportunity to reassess its use of dogs and forcing them into life-threatening situations.”

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 Schultz follows.

April 22, 2026

William C. Schultz

Chief of Police

Via e-mail

Dear Chief Schultz:

I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) regarding K-9 Appie, 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 Appie and consider this an opportunity to reassess the use of dogs?

Appie 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 Appie, 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 Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Grant Program, 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