Every day we work to save animals from tragic situations: puppy mills, hoarding houses, physical abuse, sexual assault, starvation, neglect and abandonment. Sadly, this also includes dog fighting, which continues to occur in our community. Our Investigations & Rescue team responds to dog fighting cases across Washington state. These cases are often complex and heartbreaking. With your support, we can continue investigating and rescuing animals from these horrific crimes.
This is Bruno’s story. Unfortunately, Bruno was an innocent victim in one of these cases. This sweet, loving dog arrived at our sanctuary covered in scars from his horrific past. His body was riddled with bite marks and BBs under his skin from being part of a dog fighting ring.
Despite his past, Bruno showed all who met him nothing but love. His tail was always wagging, and he gave an exceptional amount of kisses. He enjoyed playing in the dog park, foraging for blackberries, car rides, licking faces, and peanut butter. Bruno never found an adopter, but he found a home full of love and compassion at our sanctuary. His family of caregivers and volunteers surrounded him with attention and showed him what a true second chance could look like.
Meanwhile, we kept Bruno safe while the prosecution worked hard on bringing his abuser to justice. After months of diligent work, Bruno’s abuser was convicted of animal cruelty. However, he received no jail time, which was a heartbreaking outcome for such heinous abuse. This is why we work hard to strengthen animal cruelty laws and improve our justice system, so animals like Bruno can one day get the justice they deserve.
After a year and a half at our sanctuary, Bruno was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and peacefully passed away surrounded by his favorite people. His last days were spent enjoying car rides with volunteers, dog park time with his caregivers, and cozied up with all his adoring friends – knowing he was a good boy.
Bruno’s story, which started as a heartbreaking life, is a beautiful example of the power of rescue. We are grateful for the time we had with him and for being able to show him how good humans can be. You made this possible. Your generosity makes second chances like this a reality for abused and neglected animals. This work is difficult, but we do it because the animals need us. And there are so many more animals like Bruno who need our help.
