Kodi Stringer-Sawaya and her husband Alex have three dogs. The newest addition is a short, stubby legged dog with a head fit for a pit bull. His name is Bruno. He was named after the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the Disney musical “Encanto.” But let’s talk about Bruno, as he’s had quite the journey on his way to becoming a member of the Sawaya family. 

Kodi, a former Powell student and University of Wyoming grad, was working for a pet grooming and boarding facility in Pueblo, Colorado, when a pocket pit bull was found abandoned by the train tracks behind the facility.

According to an article on Veterinarians.org by Katelyn Son, pocket pit bulls are a new designer breed that combine an American pit bull terrier or Staffordshire terrier with a smaller breed like a Patterdale terrier. The result of this breeding is a smaller, stockier dog that retains the pit bull’s signature head size and shape. The breed typically sells for anywhere from $800 to $4,000 although there have been cases of people paying much more for this unique breed. 

Kodi was not surprised when it appeared that Bruno may have been used in the past as a breeding dog. She has a soft spot for animals and currently she’s working at a gym and interning at the Pueblo Zoo while she decides which field to pursue as a career. 

So, while Bruno was “just kind of our guy hanging out for awhile,” Kodi naturally began to wonder what would happen to the facility’s new furry friend. They had put a post on Facebook saying that they had found a dog and were looking for the owner. It turned out that the person who had abandoned Bruno at the tracks was not the original owner. The original owner said that Bruno was recently rehomed and that he would come to retrieve him. His name also wasn’t Bruno quite yet, it was Oreo.

Kodi floated the idea to her manager that the groomer’s new guest could come home with her, even though she and Alex were not currently looking for another dog. She was concerned about where the dog may go, she said, as dogfighting and baiting is a common reason that people will adopt pit bull breeds. When the original owner came to retrieve Oreo he explained how the dog had ended up in his current situation and that he would eventually be rehomed.

Kodi began to talk to the man about taking Oreo home and Kodi said that he asked whether or not Kodi had a yard or other pets. His only requirement was that she send him pictures every month, an agreement she’s honored. The only wrinkle in the plan was that Kodi already had a dog named Oreo.

“Ultimately, I let my husband decide because [he] wasn’t super happy about me bringing home another dog,” she said.

So Oreo became Bruno as a tongue-in-cheek reference to his sudden adoption, but he quickly became a valued member of the family unit, “He’s just such a good dog,” Kodi said. 

“His biggest thing is if you sit on the couch or anything he comes and lays on top of you,” she said.

Bruno is 75 pounds with the build of “a sausage” so he’s not exactly a lapdog, but he certainly loves his new owners. And, he fits right in with the activity level and lifestyle of their other dogs, Kodi added. While a full sized pit bull requires lots of activity, Bruno’s short legs mean that he doesn’t need many walks. In fact, one of his favorite playtime activities is to be rolled around. 

Kodi said that it’s interesting to see on walks that people may be more cautious of Bruno because of the stigma around his breed, even though he will immediately roll over for pets, but will try to pet her other dog, a mixed breed senior rescue named Pepper who is kid aggressive.

Kodi’s former job as a groomer took in aggressive dogs and she has worked with all breeds — oftentimes they were able to get dogs used to people and touch by giving them time and respect.

“I’m a firm believer that no dog or animal probably is born bad,” Kodi said.

And Bruno, the dog abandoned at the train tracks who likes to be rolled, is certainly the definition of a good boy.