While browsing through Facebook, a couple from Red Deer, Alberta, came across the photo of a dog in need of a loving forever home. The 1-year-old puppy’s face looked a bit “wonky” as a result of being attacked by his mother when he was only 13-days old. The pair, who felt an instant connection with the puppy, adopted him, and he is now Instagram famous.
Amanda Richer, 30, first saw a picture of the German shepherd cross Collie named Brodie on a Facebook post by the
Old MacDonald Kennels. Despite his facial deformities, Amanda was determined to meet the pooch. “I just felt connected to him. I looked at his pictures multiple times a day. I just had to go out and meet him, so we did,” Amanda told
The Homestretch CBC.
Along with her boyfriend, Brad Ames, 23, the couple traveled all the way to Ponoka, Alberta, to meet Brodie. Upon meeting him, Amanda felt it was “love at first sight.” “We met him, took him for a walk, and hung out with him for a few hours,” she told SWNS, as reported by
PEOPLE. After cracking up a great initial bond, the couple ended up taking him home that very same day in September 2019.
However, Brodie, who was born in the shelter, hadn’t had the best start in life. At 13 days old, his mother bit him on his face, which caused him severe injuries and left him deformed for life. In addition, Brodie was adopted before, only to be returned five months later as his former owners found him “too hyper.”
According to Amanda, the canine has other health concerns that are becoming more evident as he’s growing older. “That bulging eye. His skull is kind of pushing out on his eye. He has trouble breathing. He is partially blind in the little eye that actually looks OK,” she said, according to
CBC.
In addition, his jaw is partially fused together and one side of his face is slanted.
Despite his limitations, Amanda describes Brodie as “sweet and loving. He is always happy.”
“When we go to a dog park, people say he looks like the happiest dog ever,” she further added.
While Richer admits her new best friend can be “hyper,” she also states her amazement on how intelligent he is. “His brain is perfectly fine, and he learns tricks within 10 minutes, usually which tells me he is a smart boy,” she told
SWNS. “He just needed patience and someone to be consistent. He gets better every week.”
In addition, the owners also revealed that their spunky dog snores like a human.
While his injuries may cause further health complications as he grows older, the couple wouldn’t change their adorable pooch for the world. “He’s perfect to us. He is beautiful. A dog’s love is so unconditional,” Amanda said, according to CBC.
According to
The Western Journal, Brodie has been showing improvement every week with his companion, Rosie.
Brodie, who is described as a “bit like a Picasso’s masterpiece” by his owners, continues to bring joy to them and also helps brighten the days of his over 129,000
Instagram followers. Amanda said she’s been receiving multiple messages from social media users explaining how much happiness photos of Brodie have brought into their lives.
“There are a lot of people messaging, going through depression or they have physical disabilities and they see Brodie and it just brightens their day. They look forward to it. It brings them hope,” Amanda
said.
The couple hopes that Brodie can work as a therapy dog and use his uniqueness to help other people with disabilities.
