Appie is four years old. He was shot in the shoulder while chasing a burglary suspect. He lost blood. His heart rhythm became life-threatening. He underwent five hours of surgery to repair a fractured arm. He will spend three to four months recovering. He had no choice in any of it.

PETA has written to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department urging Appie to be retired and asking the department to consider replacing its K-9 program with state-of-the-art policing technology including tactical robots, drones, and portable mass spectrometers. That is the right call, and it deserves more than a dismissive response about leaving the decision to the handler.

Appie cannot consent to returning to duty. He cannot weigh the risks of another shooting against his desire to work. He cannot decide whether the job is worth it. Those decisions are made for him by the humans around him, which means the humans around him bear the full moral responsibility for what happens to him. Appie survived this time. The question worth asking is whether he should ever be put in a position where survival is the outcome being celebrated rather than being taken for granted.

Modern policing technology has advanced significantly. Drones can pursue suspects across terrain that puts officers and animals at risk. Tactical robots can enter dangerous environments first. Portable mass spectrometers can detect substances without requiring an animal to be present. These tools do not get shot. They do not experience pain. They do not require surgery. And when they are damaged they can be repaired or replaced without a community gathering outside a veterinary hospital hoping for good news.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department treats Appie as one of us and a hero. If that is true then he deserves what every hero deserves: the chance to come home safely. The most meaningful way to honor Appie's service and his survival is to ensure that no other police dog has to go through what he went through.

Sign this petition to call on the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to retire Appie rather than return him to active duty, invest in modern policing technology that can perform K-9 functions without putting animals at risk of injury or death, and commit to a phased transition away from police dog programs as technology-based alternatives become available.