From Ukraine to the US: Labrador Escapes War and Begins New Life as Police K9


Bruno, an evacuee from Ukraine, has now found a new purpose as a narcotics detection dog.


The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has disrupted countless lives, including those of animals. As many animals have been displaced from their homes and left in hazardous regions, a substantial effort is being made to ensure their safety.

Fortunately, one dog evacuated from Ukraine has found a “new leash on life,” after being given a new role in the US as a police K9.

Bruno, a one-and-a-half-year-old Labrador, arrived in Southwest Florida after being rescued from war-ravaged Ukraine.


“Bruno has been quite a world traveler in his life so far. He originally came from Ukraine. His family left Ukraine when the Russian invasion happened,” Bruno’s new trainer, Detective Harrison Williams, told WINK News.

After being displaced by war, Bruno quickly found a new purpose. A German K9 trainer realized that the dog would make an excellent police K9 and reached out to the Fort Myers Police Department about a potential new recruit for their narcotics division.

“I said, ‘This dog has some drive to work, let’s see if we can put him to work,'” Detective Williams shared. “He flew into Miami International Airport on a 10-hour flight from Amsterdam in the Netherlands and I went down to Miami and picked him up.”

Bruno is now training to be a narcotics detection dog for the Fort Myers Police Department. “Bruno will be a single-purpose narcotics detection dog assigned to our Group Violence Intervention Unit,” the department posted on Facebook.

The work is demanding, but Bruno has shown immense enthusiasm for his new role.

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