Brodie, with owners Amanda Richter and Brad Ames in Red Deer, Alta. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

the best boy

WATCH: Meet Brodie, the rescue pup grabbing attention globally

Feb 1, 2020 | 3:51 PM

Brodie, a one-year-old German Shepherd/Border Collie cross from Red Deer, has spirit like none other.

Less than two weeks after being born, Brodie’s mother bit and crushed part of his skull, leaving him with permanent injuries, most notably a deformity on his face which became more apparent as he grew.

But from the outset, his appearance simply didn’t matter to owners Brad Ames and Amanda Richter.

“We saw a Facebook post from Old MacDonald Kennels (in Ponoka County) back in September. He was getting a lot of likes,” says Ames. “Amanda said we had to go check out this dog, so we hung out with him for a few hours and had to take him home.”

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Asked what drew them to Brodie, Ames says it was clear he had a lot of heart.

“There’s a lot more happening past the fur or beyond the deformity,” he says of their rescue pup. “Go adopt these dogs because all of them need a home, and that shelter is at full capacity right now.”

Richter says Brodie has trouble drinking water and can only open his mouth an inch because his jaw is fused together, but being a messy eater isn’t a big deal for the couple.

“He’s happy, he’s healthy and is partially blind in his small eye, but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying his life and he’s just as happy as a normal dog,” she says.

During a trip to Oxbows Off Leash Dog Park in Red Deer, Brodie is hounded by other canines and citizens who’ve come to know his story, which is partially thanks to his 67,000+ Instagram followers.

Brodie’s story has attracted media attention from Argentina, Italy, and the U.S.A where he was featured in People Magazine.

“We’ve had hundreds of people, thousands maybe, message us — a lot of people going through depression, and they’ve said looking at Brodie’s photos bring them so much joy,” Ames adds. “I’m glad that it’s actually helping people.”

Ames and Richter hope to have Brodie trained as a therapy dog, and they are in talks for him to become the mascot for Disability Pride Alberta.