VEEDERSBURG, Ind. — It’s been a difficult few weeks for Erik Brewer, a former truck driver who recently became homeless before his van was totaled in a crash on Interstate 74 in western Indiana last month.

The May 26 accident, in which his van rolled several times after he swerved to avoid a deer, not only left the Illinois man without transportation, but also led to the disappearance of his dog Chaos, a 4-year-old brown boxer-pit bull mix.

Brewer has been searching for the dog since waking up in a hospital in Urbana, Illinois the following morning. Someone bought him a bus ticket to Peoria, about 100 miles away, so he could have surgery on his shoulder, which was injured in the accident.

After being discharged, he hitchhiked more than 50 miles to Veedersburg, near the crash site, to search for the dog. He’s staying at a nearby campground.

“I miss her so much,” Brewer told the Danville, Illinois Commercial-News in a telephone interview. “She’s my whole world. She’s all I’ve got right now.”

Brewer began searching for Chaos by calling animal shelters near the crash site, including one in Hoopeston, Illinois, where director Sherry Klemme took a personal interest in his story.

“I couldn’t get the story out of my head,” she recalled. “My heart goes out to his guy. This man has nothing.”

She shared the story with others, who pitched in by giving Brewer a prepaid cell phone, making flyers for him to distribute, donating a tent for his campsite, setting up an account on gofundme.com, helping him update his Facebook page (his laptop survived the crash), giving him money for food and making care packages.

Klemme also said she’s consulting with a professional search team that looks for missing dogs, and hopes to raise $550 for that within a week.

Facebook sites and animal rescue sites locally and out of state are sharing his story. A donor in Missouri was responsible for the cell phone.

“Everybody has been incredibly kind,” Klemme said. “It’s just amazing.” She noted that she had checked into Brewer’s background and discovered he had given a family a ride to Anderson, Indiana, and was returning to Peoria when the accident happened.

Brewer’s injuries continue to give him trouble walking long distances, but that hasn’t deterred him from continuing to search for Chaos.

“If anyone can find her, I’d be so grateful,” he said.

The Danville, Illinois Commercial-News contributed to this story.