‘You will pay for it': Hero Italian police dog killed after eating metal nail spiked sausages; PM Giorgia Meloni slams ‘cowardly act'
In a shocking incident, an Italian police dog died after ingesting sausages spiked with nails, believed to have been intentionally planted.
Authorities suspect Bruno was targeted in retaliation for his role in cracking down on illegal dog-fighting rings, reports New York Post.
When Bruno's trainer, Arcangelo Caressa, shared details of the incident online, it quickly gained national attention, even drawing a response from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
"A heartbreaking piece of news," PM Meloni posted on X, alongside a photo of herself with Bruno from a past rescue. "A vile, cowardly, unacceptable act."
The gruesome killing sparked a nationwide manhunt for Bruno's killers.
Caressa believes the attack was an act of revenge.
According to BBC reports, the trainer had received death threats in the weeks leading up to the incident, fuelling suspicions that the killing was pre-planned.
"I know who you are and you will pay for it," Caressa warned those behind the act in a social media post.
He refused to share images of the "atrocity," describing them as too gruesome.
'It felt like I died with him,' Caressa wrote in another post.
Over the years, Bruno had saved nine lives, worked alongside the Dog Rescue Unit, and was part of several successful operations involving the takedown of illegal gangs and animal abuse rings.
'You fought for your whole life to help human beings, and the same humans did this to you,' the trainer added.
'I love you, my friend.'
'He wasn't just a dog. He was family. He was a hero, and heroes never die,' he mentioned in another post
Caressa cooperated with prosecutors and reportedly named two suspects he believes are involved in the crime.
CBS News reported that Italian lawmaker and animal rights advocate Michela Vittoria Brambilla filed a criminal complaint under a new law she helped write, which increases penalties for animal cruelty and killing.
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And in 2024, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. #BlackLivesMatter debut On July 13, 2013, a simple but powerful hashtag changed the landscape of modern activism. When Patrisse Cullors created #BlackLivesMatter on Twitter, she sought to amplify Alicia Garza's Facebook proclamation — and in doing so sparked a global social justice movement that would resonate across decades. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest in Oklahoma City. File Image/Reuters In February 2012, Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black teenager in Florida, was fatally shot by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. Zimmerman's acquittal in July 2013 — citing Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' law — generated national outrage. Alicia Garza responded on July 13, 2013 with a meant-for-internal Facebook post that resonated beyond its intention: 'Our lives matter, Black Lives Matter.' 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