How the brutal killing of a sniffer dog has outraged Italy
Bruno the bloodhound died from internal bleeding after the sausages were thrown deliberately into his kennel in the southern city of Tarananto, according to his trainer.
Arcangelo Caressa said the dog would have suffered for hours as he died. Bruno famously tracked down nine people, including missing children and people with Alzheimer's, in his work as a sniffer dog.
Ms Meloni shared a photo of herself giving the dog an award and wrote: 'Some news pulls the heart. A vile, cowardly, unacceptable act. Thank you for everything you did, Bruno.'
The Italian prosecutor's office and police forces are jointly searching for those responsible, as Bruno's trainer warned the culprit on social media: 'I know who you are and you will pay for it.'
His trainer wrote in a statement, announcing his death: 'Today I died with you.
'Unfortunately Bruno was killed, they threw sausages with nails inside. I do not publish photos of this atrocity because you would be shocked. You killed him making him suffer for hours.'
Mr Caressa continued: 'You have been rewarded by the highest authority for your work. You fought for your whole life to help human beings and now a human did this to you.
'When a relative of yours needs Bruno, he won't be there.
'I thank the Prosecutor's Office and the police forces who are jointly searching for those responsible for this heinous crime.'
Michela Vittoria Brambilla, an Italian politician and animal rights activist, called for the 'maximum penalty' for the culprit under new animal rights laws.
She has proposed stricter sentencing for those who kill an animal and prolong their suffering, including four years in prison and a €60,000 fine.
Ms Brambilla called for the law to be applied in its totality due to Bruno's 'long and painful death' from internal bleeding via the nail-filled sausages.
'We owe it to this noble animal,' she said in a statement.
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