Bruce began training when he was only 8 weeks old. Soon, he would be a working dog, a police K9 for the Salt Lake City Police Department.
Shortly after he began, K9 Bruce had two back-to-back captures. K9 Bruce also had an incredibly relaxed temperament and was a favorite among the children in the community. He had truly mastered the two very different sides of his job.
Throughout his career, K9 Bruce and his human partner worked together to locate violent suspects, missing persons, and fugitives. Bruce successfully located 31 people during his 3 years as a police K9.
K9 Bruce died unexpectedly on March 17, 2024, due to a previously unknown medical condition.
“This is devastating to K9 Bruce’s partner, his family, the K9 squad, and our entire department,” said Chief Mike Brown. “Our police canines are members of our police family and our community. K9 Bruce represented the epitome of what we expect in a police canine.”
K9 Bruce lived with his handler and had quickly become a beloved member of their family. Family members and officers are remembering K9 Bruce as a happy, hardworking, and courageous member of the department.