Police dog Bruno dies 2 years after he was shot in line of duty

ANAHEIM — A retired Anaheim police dog shot in the line of duty two years ago died this moing.

Bruno was taken to Yorba Regional Anaheim Hospital Saturday afteoon when he suffered complications related to the injuries from the March 20, 2014, shooting, according to Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt.

The German shepherd underwent emergency surgery Saturday night, Wyatt said. The dog’s organs began failing early today and he had to be put down, Wyatt said.

Bruno was wounded as he assisted SWAT officers searching for a gunman who reportedly had shot at probation officers.

The suspect, later identified as Robert Moreno Jr., 21, shot the dog in the jaw and chest before he was fatally shot by authorities.

Bruno was treated at Yorba Regional Anaheim Hospital for a collapsed lung and other injuries.

The dog became “somewhat of a folk hero” following the shooting, Wyatt said

Bruno, a six-year department veteran, was retired a month after the shooting. He was living with his former handler, Office R.J. Young and his family, Wyatt said.

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