Today we’re turning our attention to Italy, where Fabiano Ettore is looking for justice for his dog Kaos.

Kaos was a German shepherd who led a heroic life. He helped save human lives by seeking them out in the rubble following an earthquake in Italy in 2016. Kaos was part of the operation to save 230 people over a period of several weeks. And more recently, Kaos helped locate a missing person closer to home. Saying Kaos was a hero to many is no understatement.

This is why it is even more horrifying to learn that this beautiful dog was deliberately poisoned to death outside his own home! In July, Fabiano woke to find poor Kaos dead in his backyard. Can you imagine how heartbreaking it would be to find a beautiful member of your own family dead without any chance to say goodbye, knowing that they died a horrible death just a few feet away from you while you slept?

Ettore said, “I have no words, I can’t understand such a horrible act. He was alive at least until two o’clock in the morning, as I heard him bark.” Animal rights activists are calling for tougher penalties against animal cruelty in Italy as a result of Kaos’ murder, labeling his killer a dangerous criminal. Rinaldo Sidoli of Animalisti Italiani said, “They killed the hero who, together with rescuers, dug with his four paws during those dramatic hours to find survivors of that massacre.”

Heroic dogs come in all shapes and sizes, saving their guardians from everything from earthquakes to rattlesnakes. Our dogs protect us as we protect them because we are their family, and that is what families do for one another. The thought that someone went out of their way to deliberately poison a family pet is horrifying. Our hearts go out to Ettore; we wish there was some way to bring back Kaos.

Italian police have opened an investigation into the poisoning. Care2 has raised a petition insisting authorities find Kaos’ killer and prosecute them immediately. Please add your signature to the petition to help get justice for this beautiful heroic dog.

Image Source: Fabiano Ettore/Care2