Luca, the dog that was shot in Richmond, has found his forever home

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A dog that was once facing a grim prognosis after being injured in a murder-suicide shooting in Richmond is now running, playing and settling into his new home with his forever family.

On Jan. 14, the Richmond Police Department responded to the 2400 block of Richdale Road and found two adults who were pronounced dead in an apparent murder-suicide. The Richmond Police identified the victim as 68-year-old Kathy Brashier, and her son, 49-year-old Lee Blair as the shooter.

Police also said Blair also shot a dog inside the home. Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) announced two days later that the dog, a German Shepherd named Luca, was being treated for injuries caused by the shooting. RACC stated that diagnostics showed bullet fragments around his head and neck, and at that time, his prognosis was “guarded at best.” But later that day, RACC released a video of Luca up and walking.

This week, RACC released a new video of Luca on their Facebook page, showing a very different dog than the one that first arrived with them two weeks ago. The latest video shows an excited Luca running through the grass and playing with his toys.

Alongside the video, RACC said that Luca is almost ready to be cleared from his medical foster home and he would soon be able to start looking for a new permanent family.

On Saturday, Jan. 28, the shelter announced that Luca had officially found his forever home. He has now been adopted by one of the Richmond Police officers that first responded to the scene where Luca’s former owner was shot. According to RACC, Luca is already settling in and making quick friends with Luna, the family’s golden retriever.