Bruno (dog)

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Bruno
Species Canis lupus familiaris (dog)
Breed bloodhound
Sexmale
Died (aged 7)
Cause of deathCanicide
Nation fromItalian
OccupationPolice dog

Bruno (born 2017 or 2018; died 4 July 2025) was a bloodhound who was hailed as a hero for finding nine missing people during his career as a police sniffer dog, [1] and was once honoured by Italy's prime minister. Bruno was found dead on 4 July 2025 after being fed a sausage filled with nails. [2]

Contents

Police service

Over the course of Bruno's life, he received multiple awards for his service. [3] He was best known for finding missing children and patients with Alzheimer's disease. [1] On 15 July, 2024 Giorgia Meloni, Italy's prime minister, awarded Bruno for his work[ citation needed ]

Death

Bruno was found dead on 4 July 2025 after being fed a sausage filled with nails. [2] In an interview with the Associated Press, the dog's trainer, Arcangelo Caressa, hypothesized that the killing was revenge for his work rescuing animals from dog-fighting rings. [4]

On 5 July 2025, Meloni wrote a post on X expressing her sadness about his passing, calling the culprit of his murder 'vile', 'cowardly', and 'unacceptable.' [5] [3] Journalist Caterina Iannaci for Corriere di Siena   [ it ] wrote that violence against dogs had been on the rise in Italy in the years leading up to Bruno's killing. [6] A 2025 law spearheaded by and named after legislator Michela Vittoria Brambilla increased criminal penalties for animal cruelty in Italy, [4] and prosecutors investigated its applicability in Bruno's case. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Watkins, Ali; Povoledo, Elisabetta (10 July 2025). "A beloved bloodhound, a fatal treat: A gruesome murder mystery in Italy" . The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 Scott, Katie (8 July 2025). "Italy's heroic police bloodhound found dead after eating food laced with nails". Global News. Archived from the original on 8 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 Albertucci, Ivo (5 July 2025). "Morto Bruno, il cane eroe tradito dall'uomo: ucciso con wurstel pieni di chiodi nella sua base a Taranto". La Zampa. La Stampa (in Italian). Archived from the original on 5 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 Artale, Dario; Winfield, Nicole (8 July 2025). "Italy outraged at killing of police bloodhound, found dead after eating food laced with nails". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 July 2025.
  5. ↑ Aikman, Ian (7 July 2025). "Italian 'hero' sniffer dog killed with nail-filled sausages". BBC. Archived from the original on 7 July 2025.
  6. ↑ Iannaci, Caterina (4 July 2025). "Ucciso brutalmente Bruno, il cane eroe che aveva salvato 9 persone: cosa è successo, è caccia ai responsabili. In aumento in Italia le violenze sugli amici a quattro zampe". Corriere di Siena (in Italian). Archived from the original on 6 August 2025.
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