Six weeks after being shot in the face, police dog Bruno heads home

He bounced out of the hospital door and into the blistering sun, his nose searching for a familiar scent. Bruno stopped at the sight of the patrol car, barked, then jumped in.

As the dog sat in the back of the squad car, Anaheim Officer R. J. Young pulled out of the veterinarian hospital with a fleet of patrol cars behind him and headed home.

In the six weeks since Bruno was shot in the face by an armed suspect, his story has drawn national attention as the injured police canine was slowly nursed back to health.

“He’s happy, he’s active, he’s doing everything on his own, he’s ready to go,” said Dr. Steven Dunbar of Yorba Regional Animal Hospital, where the Bruno was treated.

Young and Bruno were on duty in Anaheim, chasing a suspected parole violator, when the subject ducked behind a trash can and opened fire, authorities said.

One of the bullets slammed into Bruno’s jaw and tore into the dog’s chest, collapsing his lung, Dunbar explained.

The doctor said he was able to surgically seal the hole in Bruno’s lung, drain fluid and then re-inflate the lung. He said he put pins in the dog’s jaw and then attached a bar around his face to hold pieces of bone in place as they mend.

During his hospital stay, workers hand-fed Bruno, who had difficulty opening his mouth. “He’s been a very good boy. He’s a fighter,” Dunbar said.

“I can’t begin to thank you enough -- all the words, thoughts and the support that we received,” said Young, standing outside the clinic.

He said people from around the world have followed Bruno’s story, which has been covered by the media and tracked on Twitter and Facebook.

Anaheim police Chief Raul Quezada spoke about Bruno’s spirit before the furry star briefly appeared, while Mayor Pro Tem Kris Murray called the dog “a hometown hero.”

Bruno now will live with Young’s family. His fans should see him back on duty -- as grand marshal, that is -- beaming from an open-air car during the city’s Fourth of July parade.

E-mail: anh.do@latimes.com
Twitter: @newsterrier