Outrage In Italy After 'Heroic' Dog Killed With Nail-Filled Sausages

A sniffer dog in Italy has been killed after eating sausages filled with nails, sparking outrage across the country, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemning the barbaric attack. Bruno the bloodhound ate the sausages thrown into his kennel, as per his trainer, Arcangelo Caressa, who added that the seven-year-old would have suffered for hours as he died.

Bruno was a heroic figure in the country after he tracked down nine people, including missing children and people with Alzheimer's, in his work as a sniffer dog.

Ms Meloni condemned the "vile, cowardly, unacceptable" killing in a post on X (formerly Twitter) whilst sharing a photo of herself giving the dog an award.

"Some news pulls the heart. A vile, cowardly, unacceptable act. Thank you for everything you did, Bruno," Ms Meloni wrote.

Una notizia che stringe il cuore. Un atto vile, codardo, inaccettabile.

Grazie per tutto ciò che hai fatto, Bruno. pic.twitter.com/e5eSpPzQJ4

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) July 5, 2025

Mr Caressa said he knew who was responsible for the attack and vowed to make them pay for their actions.

"With you they also took away a piece of my heart. I will not let your name fall into silence. I will do you justice in every way. Because you deserve truth, respect, memory. And I, your brother, will never stop talking about you," he wrote on Facebook.

"I know who you are and you will pay for it," he added.

Mr Caressa told local media he had received death threats in the weeks leading up to Bruno's death.

"It wasn't a random gesture. They want me to step aside. But I will never give in. This is a vile attack, done for money and revenge," he told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

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The Italian prosecutor's office and police forces are jointly searching for those responsible. According to a report in BBC, the killing may have been carried out as revenge for Bruno's role in dismantling dog fighting rings.

Michela Vittoria Brambilla, an Italian politician and animal rights activist, called for the “maximum penalty” for the culprit under new animal rights laws.