An Anaheim police K-9 handler has been reunited with his German shepherd partner, Bruno, after the dog was shot in the face last week by a suspect.
Officer R.J. Young and his newborn daughter visited Bruno for 30 minutes at Yorba Regional Animal Hospital late Monday.
Young had postponed seeing Bruno because of the dog’s weak lungs and concerns that would be too excited during a visit.
“The best part of my day was when I got to lay down with him for 10 [minutes],” Young said, in a statement posted on the Orange County Police Canine Assn.’s Facebook page.
Bruno suffered a shattered jaw as a result of the bullet’s impact, but the association said he was making substantial progress.
The German shepherd was shot Thursday about 1:45 p.m. as two Orange County probation officers went to a home in the 1100 block of Mayfair Avenue.
The suspect they were looking for was with two men who fled as authorities approached. One of the men shot at officers multiple times, Anaheim police said.
During a subsequent search, Bruno found one of the men hiding near a trash can. He then fired on officers and Bruno, striking the dog in the face, according to Anaheim police Lt. Tim Schmidt.
Officers returned fire, killing the suspect, later identified as Robert Moreno Jr., 22.
The canine is unlikely to return to work, according to a message posted on Facebook by the Friends of the Anaheim Police K9 Assn.
It’s anticipated Young will purchase Bruno from the city and acquire his future medical costs, the association added.
Friends of the Anaheim Police K9 Assn. have launched a fundraiser to help pay for Bruno’s future expenses.