Help Brandi Save Blu: A Loyal Dog's Fight for Life

Help Brandi Save Blu: A Loyal Dog Brutally Attacked, Now Fighting for His Life

**Update at the bottom**

Blu is a 3-year-old pitbull with a heart as big as his paws. His unconditional love helped Brandi — a single mother of two daughters, ages 13 and 9 — survive some of the darkest moments of her life. Brandi battles neurosarcoidosis and sarcoidosis of the heart, and suffered a heart attack in September 2024. Through it all, Blu was her rock. Her comfort. Her sanity to keep going.

Now Blu needs her — and all of us — more than ever.

After Brandi offered temporary shelter to a couple struggling with sobriety, she asked them to leave when she discovered drug use in her home. They returned while Brandi was away. A neighbor called to report a fight in her backyard. Brandi rushed home — and found Blu lying in a pool of blood.

He had been stabbed twice in the neck with dirty steak knives, stabbed in the back with scissors, and beaten with a pipe.

Brandi rushed Blu to The Cove, where she was told he needed immediate transfer to VVC in Richmond. Animal Control met her on the highway and escorted her and Blu all the way there.

Brandi has had to come up with $4,100 deposit for just 24 hours of care, Blu’s pain management and CT scan. Now, an MRI is underway to assess internal damage and a possible neck protrusion contributing to his immobility. The length of his hospitalization is still unknown.

Blu’s condition is critical:

-He may be paralyzed. If so, all four legs may need to be amputated.

-A severe laceration on his front leg may still require amputation even if paralysis is ruled out.

-His wounds must remain open due to the high risk of infection from the contaminated knives.

-Surgery is inevitable — but the exact path, number of procedures, and magnitude are still unknown. Estimated costs range from $10,000 to $20,000.

This has been a deeply traumatic experience for Brandi’s entire family. Her daughters are now afraid to return home, shaken by the violence and the fear that someone could hurt them — or Blu. Brandi is doing everything she can to hold her family together while facing unimaginable emotional and financial pressure. And for Brandi, one of the hardest parts is not being able to stay by Blu’s side. He remains hospitalized in Richmond, nearly two hours away, and the distance only adds to the heartbreak.

She’s also hearing cruel comments from people who say Blu isn’t worth the cost — that she should give up and put him down.

But Blu would never give up on her. And he didn’t deserve what was done to him.

We’re asking for your help to make sure Brandi doesn’t have to choose between financial survival and saving the dog who saved her.

Every donation, share, and kind word helps Blu take another step toward healing — and helps Brandi and her daughters hold onto the love that’s carried them through so much.

Let’s show this family that compassion wins. Thank you for standing with them.

****Update: Blu Is Home — But the Fight Isn’t Over****

Blu is finally home — and while we’re grateful he survived, his journey is far from over.

The MRI revealed that one of the knives used in the attack went between two vertebrae and punctured his spinal cord. Blu is currently paralyzed, but doctors say he has a 50/50 chance of regaining mobility. For now, he requires constant care and gentle handling. At nearly 100 pounds, Brandi and her family have built a ramp and a custom gurney to help move him safely in and out of the house.

The emotional toll has been immense. The police are still actively searching for Blu’s attackers, and heartbreakingly, the family cannot return to their home — there have been two more attacks on the property since Blu was assaulted. Brandi and her daughters are living in fear, displaced from the place they once felt safe.

The total cost of Blu’s care has now reached approximately $17,000. This includes emergency treatment, scans, hospitalization, and ongoing support for his recovery. Brandi continues to face unimaginable pressure — physically, emotionally, and financially — but she refuses to give up on the dog who almost lost his life protecting their home.

Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, and sent kind words. Your support means the world to this family. Please continue to share Blu’s story — every bit of help brings them closer to healing.