A completely unexpected surprise greeted Christian Figus , owner of the Elite Edition Amstaf kennel in Carbonia , yesterday morning when two officers from the local police station showed up at his home with a formal request for dismissal of the complaint . His shock was heightened when Figus discovered that the indictment concerned his dog Pallino , a therapy dog who accompanies and assists people with disabilities.
Figus's kennel trains American Staffordshire Terriers . Among the best-known is Pallino , who often accompanies his "patients" to the Distinti section of the Unipol Domus in Cagliari and, if necessary, provides them with assistance. The complaint was filed by two animal rights guards in October 2023 , following an event that took place in Carbonia in the summer of that year , during which Figus had not muzzled the dog. Yesterday morning , the charges were finally dropped , thanks to Pallino's qualifications: being a specifically trained assistance dog , he was not required to wear a muzzle .
"Everyone knows Pallino; he works everywhere," explains Figus. There are still many prejudices surrounding Pallino, considered dangerous and unreliable . However, during the event, the dog behaved calmly with the children and, despite being bitten by a poodle, did not react aggressively. "It all depends on training," Figus emphasizes, adding that Pallino is a special dog , capable of recognizing the onset of an epileptic seizure, immediately taking action to provide assistance, and alerting emergency services.
Other assistance dogs are also trained at the kennel, including some specialized in diabetes alerts. In addition to his work at Unipol Domus, Pallino has been invited to participate in the Roma–Lazio derby , scheduled for the weekend of May 17, 2026.