A "pack walk" was held Saturday in support of an Anaheim police dog who was seriously injured after being shot in the face during a confrontation with a man who was later shot and killed by officers.
Dozens of dogs and their owners walked in support of Bruno around in the afternoon around the corner from the pet hospital. The event was organized by German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County.
"Bruno is doing good, he’s a fighter," said Officer R.J. Young, Bruno’s handler. "All I ask is that you continue to keep him in your prayers for me, and we’ll get him through this tough time."
Anaheim police tweeted on Friday that Bruno, the 7-year-old German shepherd, was “receiving the absolute best medical care and there are very caring family members and staff with him at all times.”
On Saturday, the nonprofit organization organized the dog walk to show “strength in numbers” for Bruno. The event gean about 3:15 p.m. at the Petmart in Savi Ranch, located at 5521 Mirage Street in Anaheim.
The “pack walk” ended at Yorba Linda Animal Hospital, where Bruno is recovering from surgery.
Bruno was shot Thursday night when probation officers conducted a search in the 1120 block of Mayfair Avenue. Police chased the probationer and two other men into an alley, where one of the men fired a gun at officers. No officer was hit.
A SWAT team and K-9 unit were called to help in searching for the gunman. When Bruno found the gunman hiding inside a trash bin, he was shot in the face. Police returned fire, killing 21-year-old Robert Moreno Jr.
Another man was taken into custody but the third man has still not been found.
After an uncertain first 12 hours, police said Bruno was slowly recovering his injury. On Friday, police tweeted that Bruno was showing “steady progress,” and that he was “much more alert and attentive to all of the activity around him.”
He is expected to remain at the veterinarian for six weeks, with medical bills in the thousands. Anyone who wants to donate to Bruno's medical care can visit the Friends of the Anaheim Police K9 Association Facebook donation page.
