St. Joseph County is a quiet midwestern area in northern Indiana, so close to Michigan that the area is known as Michiana. It’s home to families, farms and great schools, including Notre Dame University. It has recently seen some time in the media spotlight for another reason, though.
It is the home of the most popular mayor in America, Pete Buttigieg, who is both mayor of South Bend and running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Eyes are on South Bend again, this time for a four legged community servant. The police department recently named a new sheriff. We think you’ll agree, he’s the sweetest looking sheriff in America.
Image Sheriff Bruno Facebook
His name is Sheriff Bruno, and he’s an American Bulldog mix. He was adopted from a shelter where he was found malnourished and in bad shape. Once he recovered, his personality was able to fully bloom and his gift for connecting with others was fully realized.
Although Bruno is in the K9 unit, he is not a patrol or search and rescue dog. He has a special job perfectly suited to his temperament. He’s a K9 comfort dog. His role is to bring comfort to members of the community in need. He attends fellow officer funeral services to support the bereaved. In fact, since being named to the force he has attended every police officer funeral in the state of Indiana. He also attends public events that connect the police department to their community, one of his primary responsibilities.
In the last week alone Bruno has been spreading a lot of love around St. Joe County. He attended the memorial service of a K9 Officer, visited the Charles Black Center in South Bend, went to see The Lion King with a group of local students and participated in a parade in New Carlisle.
Image Sheriff Bruno Facebook
Image Sheriff Bruno Facebook
Image Sheriff Bruno Facebook
Bruno’s handler is Special Deputy Joe Hamer. Hamer told WSBT 22, “He will actually gravitate toward people when they are sad. When they cry he goes to them,” says Hamer, “that is not something that we taught him. That is just him. He does all that on his own. He reacts that way.”
Sheriff Bill Redman added, “That is how he is. His demeanor brings joy immediately and that is what we want to encourage as a department to build our relationship with the community.”
It’s so heartwarming to see an outcome as powerful as this. Bruno’s future changed on that fateful day when a local police department went to a shelter looking for the right kind of dog to join their team. They hit the jackpot with Bruno and his unique qualities are helping bridge the gap between the public and the police force. The people of St. Joseph County are lucky to have this sweet, loving dog as their servant. Thankfully, his superiors give him ample time to rest while at the office.
You can follow Sheriff Bruno’s good deeds on his Facebook page.
Featured Image Sheriff Bruno Facebook
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