Abandoned pit bull in training to become veteran service dog

Bruno the pit bull
(Image credit: KOAA, CNN, Carl Anderson)

A Colorado veteran found an abandoned pit bull in the park and has given him a whole new lease on life, reports KOAA via CNN.

Late at night, Carl Anderson watched a car drop Bruno, a black and white male pit bull mix, off in the park across from his house. The next morning, Bruno was still there. "I couldn’t believe someone would just come up to a park and push their dog out of a car and leave him," Anderson tells the local news station. "He was pretty confused and scared."

Anderson called local animal law enforcement and gave them a description of the car, and they were able to track down Bruno's former owners and charge them with animal cruelty - but what about Bruno? Bruno was sent to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak region but was struggling in the shelter - as many dogs do. Luckily, Bruno was transferred to a local rescue, where Anderson was able to apply to foster him.

“My family’s already falling in love with him, so it won’t be easy passing him on,” Anderson said. He plans to enroll Bruno in training at Victory Service Dogs, a non-profit that trains dogs to become service animals and pairs them with veterans in need. Victory Service Dogs has a facility in Colorado Springs, where clients bring their dogs once a week and train alongside their professional trainers, a service they offer free to veterans and first responders. Anderson is an Air Force vet himself, so the cause is clearly near and dear to his heart.

Until then, however, Bruno is clearly enjoying his life with the Anderson clan. The video shared by the news station shows him lounging on laps, playing tug-of-war with the kids of the family, and relaxing on the porch. Maybe he'll stay with the Anderson family, but if he doesn't he certainly seems like he'll make a great pet for a vet in need.