Veteran’s Service Dog Found Shot After Going Missing in Missoula
May 8, 2020
MISSOULA — Authorities are looking for answers about a veteran’s service dog that was found with multiple gunshots wounds after he went missing.
Missoula Animal Control received a call for what they initially thought to be a stray dog wandering around Cote Lane on Wednesday evening.
“But when he was picked up by the officer, she found that he was injured,” said Missoula County Animal Control Officer Cassidy Russell. “They ended up bringing him to Missoula Vet and discovered he had three gunshot wounds.”
The animal was shot once in the shoulder and twice to the head, even requiring surgery to remove a bullet from his face.
Fortunately, he’s microchipped, and Missoula Animal Control was able to locate the shelter where he had been adopted. They later learned that the dog, Lucca, is the service dog for a local veteran.
“He’s about two-years-old, he’s a German Shepherd, almost all black, and just the sweetest thing, really, through all of this he’s been so sweet and so loving. It’s amazing for what he’s been through that he still trusts everybody.”
Lucca will spend the next few days receiving follow up treatment for a remaining bullet lodged near his jaw. Animal Control is asking the community to come forward if they know any information regarding the circumstances leading to Lucca’s injuries.
“He went missing around 34th Street, and so he made it quite a ways away. We don’t know who did anything, we don’t know if someone took him from his home, we don’t know who shot him, we don’t know any of the circumstances, so if anyone has seen or heard of anything that can give us some insight then we can follow up on it,” said Russell.
Animal Control is also asking the community to help with Lucca’svet bills.
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
Students Get Therapy Dog
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Therapy Dogtor
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
Therapy Dog Pups
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
Puppy Cams
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
Pet Committee
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]