PETA sent a letter to Park City Police Chief Wade Carpenter on October 16, 2026, urging the retirement of K-9 Bruno and the phasing out of police dogs in the department. The request follows the release of police video showing the animal jumping from a freeway overpass and sustaining serious injuries.
According to police, the incident occurred on September 15 at the U.S. 40/I-80 interchange during a suspicious-package investigation. Bruno jumped from the overpass and suffered two broken legs and a fractured jaw. Following the incident, the dog was flown by Life Flight to Salt Lake City for medical treatment.
PETA Vice President Daniel Paden stated that while police work is inherently dangerous, dogs like Bruno do not choose to risk their lives in the line of duty. The organization is calling on the Park City Police Department to provide the dog with retirement and to transition to technology that can perform dangerous tasks without risking animals.
In the letter, PETA suggested that the department replace Bruno, who is currently the department's only K-9, with state-of-the-art policing technology. Suggested alternatives include tactical robots, drones, and portable mass spectrometers.
According to the organization, law enforcement departments across the country are increasingly using tactical robots to handle situations that could otherwise result in serious injury or death for human officers and K-9s.
PETA suggested the department could seek grant funding for new technology through several sources, including the Utah Department of Criminal Justice, the DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Private funding opportunities through PoliceGrantsHelp.com were also noted.
The letter was authored by Allison Fandl, a manager of special projects in the Cruelty Investigations Department at PETA.
