WILMINGTON, N.C. -- A member of the Wilmington Police Department's mounted patrol unit will undergo surgery next week to remove a melanoma tumor.

Comet has been with the department for more than a decade. The 16-year-old horse is one of three horses in the unit. Surgery is slated for next week at N.C. State's College of Veterinary Medicine.

The procedure includes a biopsy of the tumor. Comet is expected to be out of work for about a month.