Sniffer dog once-honoured for finding nine missing people dies after eating nail-filled sausages that had been thrown in his kennel in 'vile, cowardly act'
Seven-year-old bloodhound Bruno was found lying in a pool of his own blood yesterday morning at an animal training centre in Taranto, southern Italy, after the deadly treats were thrown into his kennel.
Bruno, who was once honoured by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for his services, died in agony from internal bleeding, his trainer Arcangelo Caressa said.
Meloni, who was pictured alongside Bruno in 2022, condemned those involved and called the killing a 'vile, cowardly, unacceptable act'.
'Thank you for everything you did, Bruno', she added.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the dog's horrific killing, while cops are reviewing surveillance footage from the training facility to identify those responsible.
Bruno had worked on missing persons cases in the southern Apulia region and helped find nine people who had disappeared.
He had also taken part in operations aimed at dismantling groups that organised clandestine dog fights.
It is believed he was killed in an act of revenge.
Trainer Mr Caressa paid an emotional tribute to Bruno, writing on Facebook: 'This morning I died alongside you.
'You fought your whole life to save humans and now it was a human who did this to you.'
He added that many of the missing persons he had located were Alzheimer's who had wandered off on their own and gotten lost.
'Some families wrote to me this morning to thank me again. Their loved ones are alive thanks to Bruno. And now he is no longer with us.'
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