Severely injured German Shepherd rescued by Prince George woman

VANCOUVER – Prince George resident Cheryl Bricker cannot believe the outpouring of support from her community and friends online for a dog now known as Journey.

The purebred German Shepherd, who could be about seven years old, was found emaciated, dehydrated and injured last Monday morning. Bricker says Journey had wandered in to a carport of a home in a nearby community and the homeowners had been surprised to find him curled up and clearly in pain. He would not let them get close to him.

They posted a photo of the then-unnamed dog on Facebook and tagged Bricker in the picture. “This is not unusual because I am a German Shepherd breeder,” says Bricker in an email interview. “I often get tagged in found German Shepherd posts in local pet and community groups.  I went to him because he needed help sooner rather than later.”

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When she first arrived, she knew Journey was is distress. “I could see that he was extremely undernourished,” she says. “He was showing signs of fear-based aggression and as the residents of the home had said, would not let anyone get close to him. I ended up spending about a half hour trying to get him to come to me, and while I could get as close as about five feet, I could not get closer.”

She then decided to go home and get some warm food for him. When she returned, Journey cautiously approached her and she was finally able to pet him, put a leash on him and lead him to the car.

He has been with Bricker and her family ever since, except for one night at the animal hospital.

His injuries are severe however, and he has a long road to recovery. He is emaciated, weighing only 55 pounds, when he should be around 85 pounds. “He was also dehydrated and he had an infection in his testicles and surrounding tissue, as the result of someone attempting to neuter him with an elastic band,” says Bricker.

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Needless to say, Journey’s vet bills are very expensive. Bricker shared the news on her Facebook page and says her friends took it upon themselves to spread the word about what she was doing. “It spread like wildfire,” she says. “Journey’s vet bill and aftercare has been covered entirely by donations from the amazing members of this community as well as friends near and far.”

“The support overall for journey has been more than I can describe. Our community heard the call for help and came out in droves.”

Journey’s vet bills have totalled more than $1,500 but so much has been donated, the excess will be used for his follow-up care. “Along with that, friends have contributed cash donations for Journey’s aftercare,” adds Bricker. “These will be used for any specialized therapy and training he may require.”

Bricker has been documenting everything on the Facebook page A Dog Named Journey.

She has not made any long-term plans to keep Journey, but says he will stay with her as long as needed. “If that is the rest of his life ,then he will be here for the rest of his life,” she says. “At this point I think it is fairly likely that he will be staying with us for the long-term.”

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She does not know what happened to Journey, and although she has been able to piece together parts of his story, much remains a mystery.

However, she is just happy she is able to help him and experience the love and support of the community.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” she says. “These two words do not seem to be enough. We will are deeply humbled and will forever be grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and strangers far and near, as well as all of the love that has been shown for Journey.”

Bricker adds she does not need any more money for Journey at this time and she has a moderate reserve to cover any special therapy he may need. If anyone would like to make a donation to help other dogs like Journey, they can do so at the German Shepherd Rescue of B.C.