LOS ANGELES—Explaining that their goal has always been to hold a mirror to society, whether focusing on the power of friendship or a racially motivated killing, the writers behind the hit children’s television series PAW Patrol defended a recent episode of the show Friday in which a German shepherd “police pup” shoots an unarmed black lab 17 times in the back. “What we tried to do in ‘Paw-lice Bru-tail-ity’ was use Chase’s gunning down of a weaponless Zuma to start a dialogue,” staffer Louise Moon said of the storyline in which a bigoted Cap’n Turbot reports a “thuggish black dog” for loitering in his gated community moments before Chase arrives, mistakes Zuma’s bone for a gun, and shoots indiscriminately at the fleeing canine while shouting his signature catchphrase, “These paws uphold the laws!” “The fact is that whether they’re 2- or 11-years-old, our viewers are smart enough to decide for themselves whether Chase’s family and career should be ripped apart just because of a split-second decision. Our job is just to represent the political moment—from the violent Antifa protests to Chase’s PTSD-fraught leave of absence—using the only medium we have, and I believe we did that.” At press time, the PAW Patrol writers remained silent about the episode involving the deportation of thousands of Chihuahuas accused of stealing jobs and crippling Adventure Bay’s economy.

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