How hero sniffer dog’s killing with nail-filled sausages has caused outrage in Italy

The brutal killing of a sniffer dog who had helped find nine people during his service has led to massive outrage in Italy.

Bruno, a seven-year-old dog, was found dead on Friday morning inside his shed.

It was later revealed that he had died from internal bleeding after eating sausages that had nails hidden inside them.

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A criminal investigation is now underway to find those responsible.

Notably, he had received several awards for finding missing and vulnerable people and was praised for saving nine lives.

But how and why was Bruno killed?

Let’s take a look:

How did Bruno die?

The popular Italian sniffer dog was killed in a cruel attack after eating sausages filled with nails.

Bruno, a bloodhound, died from internal bleeding after someone deliberately threw the sausages into his kennel in the southern city of Taranto, according to his trainer.

Arcangelo Caressa said the dog would have suffered for several hours before he died.

Bruno was known for tracking down nine people during his time as a sniffer dog, including missing children and individuals with Alzheimer’s.

The attack led to massive condemnation, including from Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The Italian PM, who had once posed for a photo with Bruno after one of his rescues, described the killing as “vile, cowardly, unacceptable.”

She said, “Thank you for everything you have done, Bruno.”

Italian lawmaker and animal rights supporter Michela Vittoria Brambilla has called on the police to make sure those behind Bruno’s death are “brought to justice”.

Brambilla, a longtime advocate for animal rights, filed a criminal complaint under a new law she helped introduce, which increases punishments for killing or harming animals.

The new law, named the Brambilla law, came into force on July 1. It allows for up to four years in jail and a fine of 60,000 euros (around $70,000), with tougher penalties if the act happens in front of children or is recorded and shared online.

Vittorio Feltri, editor of the Il Giornale newspaper, also expressed anger over the killing. He said Bruno had done more good for society than most citizens.

Feltri added that the punishment should be more than four years and said animals should be respected “especially when they behave heroically”, as Bruno had.

Meanwhile, Caressa said that although Bruno may have seemed clumsy and heavy, he was strong and committed to his work.

“He was a giant,” the trainer said.

“When he went out on a search and you put his harness on, there was no one else like him. He would set off, smell the person we were looking for and run like a train until we found them.”

According to Caressa, Bruno officially found nine people: five alive and four who had died.

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Why was Bruno killed?

There are claims that Bruno was killed as an act of revenge for his part in breaking up illegal dog-fighting rings, BBC reported.

Addressing those responsible for the act, Caressa said: “I know who you are, and you will pay for it.”

He told The Associated Press that the act was meant to cause extreme pain. “It was deliberately a horrific act to cause the dog intense suffering, because feeding him bites filled with nails means tearing apart his insides, tearing apart his oesophagus and internal organs and causing excruciating pain.”

Caressa believes the attack was aimed at him, not Bruno, because of his animal rescue work.

Notably, he runs a volunteer rescue group called Endas, which helps save dogs from illegal dog fights. The service, he said, was once handled by private companies, and he suspects those trying to take it over are behind Bruno’s death.

He revealed that he had received death threats in the weeks before the killing.

“In recent months, we have received threats, acts of persecution, defamation and slander from certain individuals who have already been investigated in the past and are known to the judicial authorities, who have been trying in every way to take over this rescue service by despicable means,” he told AP.

Police and prosecutors are now working together to find who was responsible.

Caressa is cooperating with the investigation and has praised the efforts made so far. He has given prosecutors the names of two people he believes are linked to the crime.

In a Facebook post about Bruno’s death, he wrote: “Today I died with you.

You fought for your whole life to help human beings, and it was humans who did this to you.”

With inputs from agencies