Sheriff Bruno earns national honor for helping others
SOUTH BEND — Sheriff Bruno grabs everyone’s attention when he walks in a room. People find it hard not to stop and pet the stout, 96-pound white American bulldog with some spots peppered in, when he goes by.
It’s not just the almost 6-yearold dog’s lovable face that gets him attention. It’s his work as an emotional support dog for law enforcement that earned him his real recognition — a recognition that, this week, carries him to the national stage in Washington D.C. where he’ll take part in activities honoring officers who’ve died in the line of duty.
Bruno, along with his handler Special Deputy Joe Hamer, joined the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department in January. Bruno has been working as a support dog for the past four years. His focus is on providing support for officers who are involved in critical incidents or have rough days on the job, as well as supporting loved ones of fallen officers. Since he started, he’s attended every officer funeral in Indiana. He also attended the funerals of the five officers in Dallas who were shot and killed in 2016.
“I don’t know how to explain the reaction people have to him,” Hamer said about Bruno’s ability to connect with and comfort people. “He has this spirit about him that everyone sees.”
That spirit was on display Wednesday in D.C. at the Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the U.S. Capitol. The service honors all those who died in the line of duty, and this year Bruno was chosen to lay a flower in honor of all K9 officers killed. Wednesday was also Bruno’s birthday.
Hamer wasn’t told exactly why Bruno was chosen but was contacted a few months ago asking if he could participate.
“It’s such a huge honor,” Hamer said. “For him to be so recognized is huge.”
On a recent afternoon, Bruno was at Queen of Peace Catholic School in Mishawaka, meeting with a few of his regulars — the kids of South Bend firefighter Joshua Comeau. After a four-year battle with brain cancer, Comeau died Jan. 24.
“He gives comfort and reassurance that everything’s OK,” said Rosary Comeau, Joshua’s wife. “Any extra love and support we can get right now is such a gift to our family.”
Rosary brought her 2-year-old son Zeke to the school so he could have some time with Bruno in the office. Bruno then made the rounds to see three of Rosary’s daughters. At each of the girls’ classrooms, one of Rosary’s daughters came out in the hallway to see Bruno on her own. Then she’d get to bring him in to see the rest of her class.
After walking Bruno into her third grade classroom, Mia Comeau talked to her class about how Bruno is a “very good boy.” She told them he listens to only Hamer because they are best friends.
Bruno’s biggest impact, though, has been on Rosary’s kindergartner, Grace. She has been having a very hard time since her father’s death, and has often reverted to “baby talk.” But when they brought Bruno in for the first time, they told Grace he didn’t understand baby talk. Next thing everyone knew, she was speaking normally and even opened up to a school counselor.
“It’s amazing to see how much a dog can help with their anxiety and stress,” Rosary said. “He comforts her enough that she can get out of that trauma.”
The beautiful thing about Bruno, she said, is how calm he is. He lies down and lets the kids climb on him or snuggle him. Whatever they need. For Rosary, Bruno has reminded her of the good in the world. The fact that Hamer and Bruno, who were strangers before her husband’s death, saw a need in her family’s life and came forward is touching to her.
“To see so much good, it’s a beautiful thing to see amid the hardship,” Rosary said.
Hamer was working at the Lake County Sheriff ’s Department when he met Bruno in 2015. The sheriff at the time loved bulldogs and adopted the previously abused, timid and thin dog after he was turned over to an animal shelter. But the sheriff expected Bruno to earn his keep, Hamer said.
The department’s K9 trainer did Bruno’s obedience training, but then he needed a handler.
“They said ‘well he keeps following Hamer around’ so I started working with him,” Hamer said.
But Bruno still needed a job. That’s when Hamer’s work as Chairman of Indiana’s Fraternal Order of Police’s Critical Incident Memorial Team gave him an idea. Make Bruno a comfort dog specifically for law enforcement and first responders and their families.
“That was the whole concept. We didn’t know of any dogs specifically for law enforcement,” Hamer said. “And that’s when he became Sheriff Bruno.”
When Bruno started, Hamer didn’t know if Bruno would actually be any good in the new role.
Bruno’s first line of duty funeral was for Howard County officer Carl Koontz, 27, who was shot while serving an arrest warrant. No one told Bruno what to do, but he just stared at Koontz’s 2month-old baby the entire time and wouldn’t move, Hamer said. At another funeral, Bruno was pulling to get to the fallen officer’s spouse, staying with her throughout the service.
He has an intuition about who needs him, something Hamer takes no credit for training Bruno to do. Other comfort animals are trained to react to triggers of a specific person, Hamer said. Bruno isn’t trained for one person, he’s working with different people every time.
“He’s picked up on his own where to react and how to react,” Hamer said. “It’s absolutely amazing how people react to him and how they just fall in love with him.”
Hamer said it’s Bruno’s personality that is “like no other,” that makes him a pro. He’s easygoing and very loving and compassionate, although he can get a little bit of an attitude sometimes, Hamer joked.
“He has the most amazing attitude for a dog that was abused, beaten and neglected,” he said. “The way he has changed his life has been amazing.”
After a couple of years in Lake County, Bruno made a career change with Hamer. In 2017, Hamer was contacted by the national organization Concerns of Police Survivors, which provides resources for families and coworkers of officers killed in the line of duty. Hamer was offered a job as the program director, but he told them Bruno was his partner. There was no question they wanted Bruno too, so the duo moved to Missouri.
COPS plays a large role in National Police Week, Hamer said, which is why he believes Bruno got a lot of attention last year, leading him to be asked to represent the K9s this year.
But Hamer and Bruno stayed with COPS for only a year because St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman had his eye on the team. Redman is also part of the Fraternal Order of Police’s Critical Incident Memorial Team and has worked with Hamer for several years.
As he was preparing to take office, Redman said, he wanted Hamer and Bruno in his department.
“I got to see firsthand how Bruno brought joy to people,” Redman said. “Seeing Bruno do his work, bringing joy to the family members, especially the children, I knew he would be beneficial to our community.”
While part of Hamer’s job is overseeing the county’s sex offender registry, as Bruno’s handler, he’s often out taking Bruno to meet with families and for public appearances. Hamer jokes his main job is being Bruno’s chauffeur.
While people love Bruno for being an adorable dog, he’s also gained genuine respect for his ability as a comfort dog. Bruno is a “rock star” wherever he goes, and Hamer is fine being known only as “Bruno’s handler.”
“I want to share him with everyone,” Hamer said. “I have no problem with no one knowing my name.”