Fury as hero sniffer dog Bruno who found nine missing people dies after eating nail-filled sausages thrown into kennel
Bruno the bloodhound was discovered Sunday morning lying in a pool of blood at a training facility in Taranto, southern Italy.
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The deadly bait, believed to have been tossed into his kennel overnight, caused fatal internal bleeding.
The seven-year-old dog had become a national hero after successfully tracking down nine missing people, including Alzheimer's patients, across the Apulia region.
He was once honoured by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who yesterday led the wave of public fury and mourning.
In a powerful statement, Meloni condemned the killing as a "vile, cowardly, unacceptable act."
"Thank you for everything you did, Bruno," she added.
Trainer Arcangelo Caressa, who found Bruno in distress, paid an emotional tribute on Facebook.
He wrote: "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."
Prosecutors have opened an investigation, with police scouring CCTV footage from the facility in a bid to catch the perpetrator.
Tourist who kicked sniffer dog 'so hard it flew into the air' at US airport is deported after being slapped with fine
Authorities suspect the poisoning may be an act of revenge, possibly linked to Bruno's role in helping crack down on illegal dog-fighting rings.
Mr Caressa revealed Bruno had not only rescued people but had recently assisted in operations against animal cruelty and clandestine dog fights.
"Some families wrote to me this morning to thank me again," he added.
"Their loved ones are alive thanks to Bruno. And now he is no longer with us."
Animal rights activists are now calling for swift justice under Italy's newly strengthened animal cruelty laws.
Introduced on July 1, the law includes penalties of up to four years in prison and €60,000 fines for intentionally killing animals with cruelty.
Michela Vittoria Brambilla, the politician behind the legislation, called for its immediate use.
She said: "A nail-filled bait gave a horrible, long and painful death from internal bleeding to he who had saved so many lives.
"At the thought of such boundless cruelty one should be ashamed of belonging to the human race."
Messages of grief and solidarity have poured into the National Dog Training Centre, where Bruno served.
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Taranto's mayor, Pietro Bitetti, said: "Together we must give a strong signal: 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."
It comes after a tourist who violently kicked a sniffer dog at a US airport - sending it flying through the air - was fined and deported.
Freddie, a five-year-old beagle working with US customs, was attacked at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia after alerting officers to a suspicious suitcase.
The dog had flagged the bag belonging to Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, who had just arrived from Cairo and was waiting at baggage claim.
According to a federal complaint, after a brief exchange with a customs officer, Hamed lashed out and kicked Freddie 'so hard that he was lifted off of the ground.'
The injured dog was rushed to a vet and treated for bruising to his right rib.
Hamed pleaded guilty to the assault the next day, was slapped with an $840 (£611) fine to cover vet bills, and was deported back to Egypt shortly afterward.
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