Independent Newsmedia
By Allison Fandl | Norfolk, Virginia
Councilmember Anna Hernandez deserves praise for defending police K-9s, who are subjected to merciless training and thrust into hazardous, violent and often deadly situations.
She’s correct: The conditioning required to make dogs attack humans on command is inherently cruel. It must be to reverse some 40,000 years of co-evolution that has made these animals humans’ closest companions.
Unlike the men and women who put on a uniform, dogs can’t consent to risking life and limb. Many don’t get the happy ending that Phoenix’s retiring K-9 fortunately will. On Nov. 22, a suspect in Burbank, California, opened fire on K-9 Spike, killing him.
In 2025 alone, K-9s Rebel in New Mexico, Azi in Texas, and Preacher in Maine were shot and killed. Oya in Missouri died by an undisclosed method while pursuing two dangerous suspects. Roam in Colorado was stabbed repeatedly and survived only after multiple blood transfusions and the amputation of a leg.
Other K-9s have been punched, kicked, injured by broken glass or barbed wire, stabbed, shot and struck by vehicles this year.
That’s one reason police departments across the country are turning to robot K-9s, aerial drones and other advanced technology to quickly track and help apprehend suspects. These devices protect animal and human lives and save taxpayers money.
Councilmember Hernandez accurately noted the wastefulness of training and maintaining police dogs. The cost to acquire and train one dog can exceed $30,000, excluding veterinary care and regular expenses. By comparison, Enfield, Connecticut’s new robot K-9 R3KO reportedly cost less than $5,000.
We hope that all law enforcement agencies will adopt this humane, cost-effective technology and allow their K-9s to retire to the safe, carefree lives dogs deserve.
Allison Fandl is manager of special projects in PETA’s Investigations, Research, & Legal Advocacy Cruelty Investigations Department. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.