Hero sniffer dog killed by ‘cowards’ who gave him sausages with nails in them

A sniffer dog who helped save the lives of nine people across Italy has been found dead in his kennel, sparking outrage.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slammed the ‘vile’ attack on award-winning dog Bruno, a seven-year-old bloodhound who worked to find missing people in Apulia, Italy.

He was found dead in his kennel near Taranto, Puglia, having died from internal bleeding after sausages filled with nails were tossed into his training centre.

His trainer, Arcangelo Caressa, is mourning Bruno, writing on Instagram: ‘Today I died with you. You fought for your whole life to help human beings, and it was humans who did this to you.’

Police are investigating the brutal death, looking at CCTV from the surrounding area.

New laws in Italy mean that anyone who kills an animal can face four years in prison, or a fine of more than £51,000.

There are fears that Bruno’s death could be tied to his role in cracking down on illegal dog-fighting and animal cruelty in the region.

The town of Taranto’s mayor, Pietro Bitetti, wrote: ‘We will not permit Taranto to be identified with such barbaric acts. Our community deserves to be seen for what it truly is: united, respectful and civil.’

Bruno bravely helped find missing and vulnerable people in Italy, including Alzheimer’s patients, in his career as a sniffer dog.

Last year, a warning was sent out to pet owners after two dogs died and another was seriously ill after being ‘deliberately poisoned’.

Poison has previously been left out in public areas to entice dogs, ultimately killing them, in the UK.

One family’s dog died after staggering, vomiting blue foam and trembling after swallowing the mystery substance on Boxing Day.

A cat rescue worker said a vet told the family they believed she was baited with slug poison due to the colour of the vomit.

The RSPCA previously found that reports of intentional harm to dogs rose 27% in just three years (2019 to 2022).

The types of incidents that come under intentional harm are attempted killing, poisoning, beating, improper killing, mutilation and suspicious circumstances.

In 2022, the charity received a staggering 42,690 reports about such abuse.

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