For Amanda Richter and her partner Brad Ames, it was fate when they met Brodie. The couple from Red Deer, Alta., adopted the dog and fell in love with his wonky face.
When he was just 13 days old, the German shepherd mix suffered a cranial and facial injury after he was bitten on the head by his mother. The couple adopted Brodie, also known as “Best Boy Brodie,” in January 2020 and that decision has brought them nothing but joy ever since.
“Brodie is an awesome dog to have,” Richter said.
“He is very smart, and the love of our lives.”
The couple have more love to give. They are now working on adopting another dog. This dog, named Raven, looks almost exactly the same.
“Even the little white spot on the nose looks the same — (she has) the same little curve in it,” Richter said.
Raven is currently living at the Fuzzy Texan Animal Rescue in Texas.
“People actually sent me her picture,” Richter said. “I got a bunch of messages that were like, ‘Oh my God, you should adopt this dog, she looks just like Brodie,’ or, ‘Brodie should get a girlfriend, she is up for adoption.’
“Brodie gets along with every dog. That’s kind of why I wanted to do this too, he needs a little pal to hang out with.”
The couple agreed that because of their love for Brodie, their hearts could not resist Raven. The dog is just over a year old, and she is believed to have been born with the deformity that makes her face look unique.
“She is a little shy,” Richter said. “A little bit timid… (around) men, and takes a bit to warm up.”
Richter started a GoFundMe page to help with costs associated with bringing Raven to Red Deer.
“It hit the goal within an hour and it more than doubled the goal within 24 hours,” Richter said. “I am so shocked… I cried.”
When Raven makes her journey to Canada later this month, she will be flown from Texas to Seattle where a volunteer will pick her up from the airport and keep her for the night. The volunteer will then drive Raven to the B.C. border to meet Richter and Ames.
Richter said the money raised through the online fundraiser will cover Raven’s medical costs, expenses and certificates to cross the border. Some money will also be kept aside for future vet costs. Anything left over is going to the Fuzzy Texan Animal Rescue and Puppy Rescue Mission.
As of Friday, the GoFundMe has already raised $7,900, easily surpassing the initial goal of generating $2,700.
Raven is expected to be united with her soon-to-be brother Brodie by the end of the month.
“With her, it just felt like fate,” Richter said.
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