When Bruno, a seven-year-old German Shepherd and K-9 unit was shot in the line of duty, chasing down a suspect with his partner, Officer RJ Young never once allowed someone to treat him as “just a dog.” The dog is his partner. According to Young’s wife, Bruno spends more time with RJ than she does.
They work together, spend time together, fight crime together. When Bruno took a bullet in the line of duty, he didn’t even whimper. In spite of the fact that he was bleeding profusely, he returned to his partner’s side.
Following the shooting, Bruno was rushed to an animal hospital, with police officers shutting down roads to make the passage faster for their fallen comrade. The video details the moment when Bruno and Officer Young were reunited following two surgeries to remove the bullet from Bruno’s lung.
The bond between officer and dog is obvious. Bruno whines softly at his partner, letting him know that he’s ready to go home–and Officer Young plans to do exactly that with him as soon as possible. Because of his injury, Bruno will be retiring from police work; but he’ll do it as the much-beloved pet of his partner. Officer Young plans to adopt Bruno as soon as he is released, admitting that the dog is like a son to him.