CHARLOTTE, NC....Sweet Bruno is a two year old Pitbull / Staffordshire Terrier Mix that was dumped out of a pickup truck this past Saturday. Within hours of him being dumped, he was shot at close range in the head. Several calls were coming into Animal Control concerning sweet Bruno. When AC officers arrived, Bruno had run off. Another call came in later that stated an injured dog was spotted behind someone's house. The officers later went out with some of the people in the neighborhood and finally found this incredibly sweet dog under some underbrush in a heavily wooded area. The AC officer used a pole to lead Bruno back to his truck where Bruno immediately jumped into the cage and allowed the officer to check for a microchip. This incredible dog was sweet and loving the entire time. The man that shot Bruno said he was afraid he was going to be attacked so he waited until he was as close as he could be and then shot him. Based on the way Bruno looks and his wounds, it appears he was at point blank range. It is very apparent Bruno was abandoned in the wrong neighborhood. We were contacted so he would not be PTS because his injuries were so significant. We immediately sent someone to pick him up and get him to the ER facility we use. There is not one mean bone in Bruno's body. He has been nothing but loving and sweet. His poor mouth and tongue are a mess and he still lets us examine his mouth without any problems. Part of Bruno's tongue has been destroyed by the shotgun. Several teeth are broken and missing. We had to get Bruno stable after he arrived because he was throwing up so much. His mouth is so bad he cannot eat. Right now we are having to deal with the constant regurgitation. We are doing scans of his mouth, head and esophagus to see exactly what damage has been done. He will be sedated for this and at that time we will be putting a feeding tube in. We will also be debriding his tongue so what is left can heal. What he is throwing up are pellets from the shotgun and also parts of his tongue. This is a very complicated case because of the way he was shot. We are now determining exactly how much damage the shotgun did and how far down his esophagus has been affected. We are also having to determine how muh of his sinus cavity has been damaged. Sweet and loving does not even begin to describe Bruno. He is incredible. I can't even imagine anyone abandoning him. We are crazy about this dog and his wonderful Spirit. He rolls over on his back the minute he sees you for a belly rub. There is not an ounce of aggression in him. Everyone is a friend to him. Bruno will remain in Intensive Care until we get him well enough to be moved to another area.
