Palm Bay community helps reunite dog lost during car crash with owner stuck in hospital

PALM BAY, Fla. - A local woman could have lost her life in a car crash. Instead, she lost her dog.

Her puppy, Bodie, ran off after the collision, but the community came together to track him down.

The accident happened near Port Malabar and Palm Bay Road on June 1. Amanda Bergman had her dog in the car with her when she crashed, hitting a palm tree.

When she woke up, she was at the hospital and her best bud was missing, so she sent out a plea for help on social media. 

Thanks to a caring community, a crisis turned to cuddles two weeks after the ordeal for this car crash survivor and her 1-year-old dog Bodie who’s a Black Mouth Kerr. 

"I remember seeing his fur, and I think once I saw his fur, I kind of just went out," said Amanda Bergman. 

She blacked out in her demolished car on June 1 and woke up at the hospital with severe ankle injuries. Her pain took a back seat when she realized Bodie was gone.

 "It was very stressful knowing that I couldn’t go out there myself to look for him," said the dog owner. 

She was stuck in a hospital bed, so she took to Facebook, pleading for help to find her lost dog. She didn’t know if he was hurt or even still alive after the accident. 

"My heart dropped. That was the first thing. I love my fur babies, and it’s like one of my own, you know," said Tia Young who’s not only Bergman’s best friend but also birthed Bodie and his brother is her dog. 

Young spent nearly 11 hours on the road for over a week looking for any signs of Bodie.

She wasn't alone. 

The newly formed animal rescue group, B.A.R.K (Brevard Alliance Rescuing K9’s), also organized several searches in the area.  After nine days on his own, the call they’d all been waiting for finally came!

"I’m immediately crying. I’m like, it’s him. It’s really him. I got him, brought him in the car, and it was an emotional ride all the way back here," exclaimed Young.

Bodie’s getting a lot of treats these days after surviving more a week on his own. 

He’s back home now, helping Amanda heal with new hope in people. 

"It has a huge impact on me , really put faith back into humanity for me," concluded Bergman.

They found Bodie about a mile away from where the accident happened in someone's backyard. That homeowner saw the Facebook post and called immediately. 

He lost a lot of weight during the ordeal, but other than that, Bodie is doing well. Now,  everyone can focus on Bergman getting better with Bodie back home.