It's hard to believe it's been nearly a year since people were captivated by the tale of a chocolate Labrador dog that spent 27 days trapped at the bottom of a well at a farm near Hitchcock.
The story of Bruno, his amazing rescue, and the love of his owners, the Billesberger family, garnered international headlines. He went missing on Sept. 17, 2016, after falling into an unknown well on the family farm, and was rescued Oct. 14 of that year.
From there, he was rushed to the Prairie Animal Health Centre for treatment, and then went to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, where he received considerable care until he was allowed to return home on Nov. 10.
His experiences and recovery earned him such nicknames as “The Miracle Dog” and “The Wonder Dog.”
Cindy Billesberger says Bruno is doing great now. The only lingering reminder of the ordeal is a slight limp that he will carry for the rest of his life.
“On the one-year … anniversary (of his disappearance), I went online, and I reread all of the doctors' reports that I kept on file, and I looked at all of the news releases and the coverage that went on a year ago, and it's so hard to believe that so much time has gone by,” Billesberger said in an interview with the Mercury.
The anniversary of his disappearance passed quietly, and nothing is planned for the anniversary of discovery, either.
“We take him out walking a lot in the fall now,” said Billesberger. “It's actually kind of bittersweet, because the evenings are cold and it's been raining, and all I can do is picture him at the bottom of the well, being cold and hungry and slowly dying. It hasn't been fun remembering.”
After Bruno went missing last year, there was a frantic search by family members over several days. But the search yielded nothing.
It took nearly a month for her husband John, their son Joe, and another family dog Luna to find Bruno at the bottom of the well.
Cindy Billesberger said the family still receives inquiries regarding Bruno's condition, and requests to join the Facebook page, Bruno’s Road to Recovery, that was created after his discovery.
“The story is still amazing, even a year later,” said Billesberger. “The time makes no difference on the miracle that it was.”
Bruno was brought back to the University of Saskatchewan a few months ago for a checkup. Everybody was able to see him again, and Billesberger said seven or eight people wanted to give him a hug or a cuddle, and have pictures taken with him.
“They wanted to see what he looked like now after putting on extra weight and muscle,” said Billesberger. “He has rebuilt a lot of muscle, and he's looking just so healthy now, so they wanted to have some after pictures to compliment the before ones that they had.”
But he hasn't had to have regular checkups, which is a positive, because she said Bruno doesn't like going to the vet. It's an understandable reaction, she believes, because he spent almost as many days at the vet as in the well.
When Billesberger looks through the documents related to Bruno's care, it causes her to reflect on the quality care he received around the clock.
“He would have never lived if not for them,” said Billesberger.
The well that Bruno fell into has since been filled in, making sure that another animal will never fall into it again. Billesberger has often thought of how many animals could be laying at the bottom of an abandoned well.
Billesberger noted that Bruno's interactions with the family's other dogs has improved significantly since he received his second chance at life. His “buddies,” as she called them, come to the house to see him every morning, just as they always have, but now they come running to the house.
“He's very frisky now; he's just so playful,” said Billesberger. “He never used to be this playful. I don't know if he realizes just how lucky he is and he's not wasting time, but he's very, very loving.”
