Frankfort Cop’s Alleged K-9 Abuse Prompts PETA’s Plea For Dog’s Retirement and Department Overhaul

For Immediate Release:
March 27, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

Following the circulation of video appearing to show a Frankfort Police Department officer forcefully throwing a K-9 named Taz to the ground, PETA sent a letter today to Frankfort Police Chief Scott Shoemaker, urging him to permanently retire Taz—and to reevaluate the department’s use of police dogs altogether. Taz has been removed from his handler’s custody.

In the letter, PETA encourages the department to replace K‑9s with state-of-the-art policing technology, such as tactical robots, drones, or portable mass spectrometers—or, at minimum, to immediately review its policies with an eye toward instating only humane training methods for K-9s. Several departments across the country—including the Massachusetts State Police, the New York Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Houston Police Department—use tactical robots, which can be deployed in situations that could otherwise result in serious injury or death for K-9s and human officers.

“K-9s don’t choose to risk their lives in the line of duty, but they do, and they depend on their partners to protect them, which makes allegations of violence and abuse especially disturbing,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA is urging the Frankfort Police Department to retire Taz 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 Shoemaker follows.

March 27, 2026

Scott Shoemaker

Chief of Police

Frankfort Police Department

Via e-mail

Dear Chief Shoemaker:

I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) regarding allegations that a Frankfort Police Department officer abused his K-9 partner, Taz. We understand that the dog was removed from the officer’s custody and that the Boone County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. Given this situation, would you please retire Taz and consider this an opportunity to reassess the use of dogs?

Taz is not the only K-9 to reportedly suffer at the hands of his own partner. Based on our experience with similar cases across the nation—including in Salisbury, North Carolina, where a similar incident sparked national and international outrage and an external investigation led to a recommendation to fire the abusive handler—we strongly recommend a thorough review of policies and training for K-9 handlers to ensure that only nonviolent, humane methods are being used. Such violence is not only cruel but also ineffective. Experts agree that dogs learn and maintain desirable behavior best when trained with a reward-based system and that frightening or traumatic treatment induces fear and anxiety. Additionally, studies have shown that those who are violent toward animals tend to be violent toward humans as well.

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 are retired? Your department may be able to secure grant funding for new technology through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, 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 everything you do to keep your community safe.

Most respectfully,

Allison Fandl

Manager of Special Projects

Cruelty Investigations Department | PETA