14 February 28 • 2019
jn

Intuitive and Special 

Therapy dog Bruno dies at age 14,
leaving behind a comforting legacy. 

F

or 12 years, Bruno, a hypo-
allergenic Portuguese Water 
Dog, made the rounds with 
his master Dr. Leo Eisenberg at the 
DNS Oncology Hematology Clinic 
at Huron Valley Hospital in Novi. In 
fact, many of his patients said they 
would only undergo tests or chemo-
therapy if Bruno was there, too. 
Sadly, Bruno, who Leo gave to 
his wife, Mira Eisenberg, as a pup 
for a 60th birthday present, died at 
age 14 in early February while the 
couple, now retired, were visiting 
with friends in Palm Springs Desert, 
Calif. 
“We are so deeply saddened by 
his passing because he provided so 
much comfort to every patient he 
came in contact with,” said Mira, 
who worked at the Novi clinic with 
her husband. 
Early on, the Eisenbergs did not 
want to leave Bruno home all day 
while they worked. They decid-
ed his gentle disposition might 
be beneficial for their patients. 
Within six months of a year-long 
training accreditation course from 
Alternative Canine Training, Bruno 
became the area’
s first canine trained 
to relieve stress and anxiety for 
patients confronting life-threatening 
illnesses. 
In his life, he sat by the sides of 
hundreds of cancer patients. With 
his furry paws and soft brown eyes, 
he could distract them from pain 
and anxiety while they were under-
going treatments and tests. 
After Bruno had been giving 
comfort to cancer patients at 
Huron Valley, the chief of medicine 
at Henry Ford Hospital in West 
Bloomfield caught on to the benefits 
Leo was seeing in his practice. In 
2009, Henry Ford also started using 
canines for easing stress and anxi-
ety in their patients. According to 
medical officials there, studies have 
shown that interacting dogs can 
increase levels of oxytocin both in 
the animal and the human petting 
it, which can increase happiness and 
can expedite the growth of new cells. 

A JN story featuring the 
Eisenbergs and Bruno from June 
28, 2007, explained how Bruno was 
helping brighten the outlook of can-
cer patients. 
Training to be a hospital dog 
means dogs like Bruno cannot eat 
anything off the floor or beg for 
food or attention. They also need 
to focus on human social cues to 
determine whether a human wants 
attention. 
“Most of the time, all the patients 
wanted Bruno by their side,” Mira 
said. “When he looked at you, you 
could tell he loved you. Our trainer 
[Bonnie Wainz] said in her 40 years 
of experience, she never met such an 
intuitive dog. He was truly special.”
Mira remembered one brain 
tumor patient who was very 
depressed. After four days of not 
eating and sleeping most of the time, 
he perked up with some TLC and 
encouragement from Bruno as he lay 
in the hospital bed at the patient’
s 
side. 
“Bruno was kind and perceptive,” 
Leo said. “My patients were always 
happy to see him. Now, many hospi-
tals see the benefits of therapy dogs 
as a way to ease their patients’
 stress. 
Bruno was ahead of his time. He will 
be missed.” ■

jews d
in 
the

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE 
Spot
l
i
ght
 
Ev
ent

Chairs – Diane and Randy Orley

AN EVENING WITH LIZA LONG, 
MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE 
AND AUTHOR

The Price of Silence
L ng
A Mom’
s Perspective
 on Mental Illness

The Price 

of Silence

Liza Long

Foreword by 

Harold S. Koplewicz, MD

A Mom’
s Perspective 

on Mental Illness

“A courageous, determined, radical book.” 

—ANDREW SOLOMON, PhD, author of 

The Noonday Demon and Far from the Tree

PLUME

6:30 PM REGISTRATION | 7 PM PROGRAM

CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK 

WEDNESDAY 
MAY 29 
2019

Admission $36/ 2 for $60/ Students $10

After the 2012 Newtown school 
shooting, Liza wondered if her son, 
who has bipolar disorder, was capable 
of committing a similar act in her blog 
post, “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother.” 
Don’t miss Long’s moving story of 
helping her son and fighting stigma.

To register or sponsor, visit jfsspotlightevent.org 

GE
T 
READY for the event 
by attending our book club discussion. 

April 12 | 10 am - 12 pm 

Please register at jfsdetroit.org/priceofsilence