K9 Bruno Retires from DWR Conservation Police

By Molly Kirk/DWR

Photos by Meghan Marchetti/DWR

K9 Bruno retired from active service with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Conservation Police in early 2026 after more than five years of service. “It’s a loss to the team,” said Captain Chris Thomas. “Bruno recovered a lot of evidence for us. He located missing people, tracked trespassers, and solved breaking-and-enterings. He and [his partner, CPO Tyler Blanks] worked really well together.”

Bruno, now 8, retired because Blanks has moved on to other opportunities, and the dog has stayed with Blanks, transitioning to life as a family pet.

“Working with Bruno was something I looked forward to every day. The bond we built went far beyond a handler and K9—it was a true partnership,” said Blanks. “He was highly driven, but at the same time loyal and in tune with me. Whether we were training or on a call, I always knew I could rely on him, and that kind of trust is hard to put into words. Working with Bruno for the last six years was definitely the highlight of my law enforcement career. I’d like to thank DWR for giving me that opportunity and a special thanks to Sergeant Howald for leading our team.”

CPO Tyler Blanks and K9 Bruno.

Bruno was part of a group of five dogs that trained and joined DWR in 2020. He stood out quickly with his brawn and his big personality. “He was such a big dog and he was solid muscle,” Thomas said. “In our early wildlife detection training, I’d hide items in cinder blocks, and the dogs would have to work rows of cinder blocks. And Bruno would find the item and then just pick up the cinder block with his mouth and carry it off.” Blanks kept a cinder block in his yard for Bruno to play with.

“He’s very focused when there’s a job to do, but he also has a playful side that made him easy to reward and motivate,” recalled Blanks. “That balance made him an excellent K9. He would always get excited when I grabbed his search collar or tracking harness and put his toy in my pocket. He knew what job he was about to do before he got out of my vehicle. Bruno also loves people and enjoyed showing off his skills during K9 demonstrations at outreach events. His energy and friendly demeanor made demonstrations entertaining for a lot of people. He thrived off all the attention. Normally he would do an article search for a demonstration and at the end would do an army crawl through the crowd when everyone got to pet him.”

“Bruno was such a big boy with the most charismatic little expressions…super photogenic!” said DWR photographer Meghan Marchetti. “Also, for the record, he always peed on my bag. Every single time without fail. He’d come over all sweet like he wanted to hang out, and then just… lift his leg like it was part of his routine. I’m going to miss getting to photograph him.”

Bruno’s particular skills included tracking and evidence location. He located numerous firearms, shell casings, and other evidence items for several local agencies that assisted with murder investigations, criminal activity, and hunting violations. “Every case was unique, and I enjoyed problem solving and working through each incident with him,” said Blanks. “Every find was a proud moment for me and was proof that our training was exactly what it needed to be. We always trained for difficult scenarios which made the real world a little easier.”

CPO Tyler Blanks and K9 Bruno in a training session.

Blanks recalled one of his favorite cases with Bruno, tracking a suspect wanted on felony charges who had evaded other K9 teams and was well known to law enforcement. “A county K9 had already attempted a track lost it after a quarter of a mile. The subject dropped his hat when he ran from deputies, so I had a scent article to start from,” Blanks said.

“This subject was notorious for running from law enforcement. Sergeant Howald tracked this subject just over four miles two or three days prior, and multiple times over the years. We tracked the first quarter mile and the other K9 handler told me this was where his dog lost the track. Bruno located the corner where the subject crossed a barbed wire fence and ran through a creek bottom. We tracked through water, woods, thick briars, cow pastures, and farm buildings for 3.8 miles. The track was hard and the subject had almost a two-hour head start on us. What stood out wasn’t the outcome, but how he worked—his determination, how he stayed locked on the task. It really showed what kind of K9 he was and reinforced why I trusted him so much.”

CPO Tyler Blanks and K9 Bruno waiting their turn during a training exercise.

According to Blanks, Bruno has settled into his retirement routine well. He goes on long walks and swims in the lake. Every day, Bruno rides to school to drop off and pick up Blanks’ daughter. “He has always been part of the family, but now he gets to have more freedom to just be a dog,” Blanks said. “He loves extra attention and is included in just about everything we do. My daughter likes to set up article searches for him in the back yard, so he still gets to do what he enjoys.”