Goldendoodle That Survived Accident Miraculously Found After Three Weeks

August of 2018 will always leave a bitter taste for the Orr family, from Kansas.

In the month when everyone was relaxing and enjoying summer, the Orr's had lost their loved one.

The family's mother, Jennifer, and her daughter, Sam, had been in a terrible accident. Their Jeep plunged 600 feet down a mountain road in Chaffee County, Colorado.

The mother did not survive.

Along with them was a one-year-old Goldendoodle, Bentley.

This tragedy was painful and terrible, not only for the family, but also for those who did not know Sam and Jennifer.

The only bright spot during this difficult time for the father and daughter was the hope that Bentley had survived.

The puppy had somehow been catapulted out of the Jeep, leaving his owners waiting for his return.

Could it be?

Could a Goldendoodle survive three weeks alone in the mountains, far from its natural habitat?

No one could believe it, but Bentley proved otherwise and made two people happy despite all their grief.

The journey that changed everything

In 2017, Samantha Orr was still a young woman studying abroad. When her international adventure came to an end, she had an abrupt idea that she just had to live up to:

Taking a dog at the time she returned to the United States.

Although her family loved dogs dearly, they warned Sam that a dog comes with great responsibility.

But the young woman didn't care. She desperately wanted a dog. It was to be her first adult purchase.

Then Bentley came into their lives

Bentley was a small puppy, a Goldendoodle that Sam brought home 24 hours after her return to the United States. The bond was immediately close, and Sam didn't have to make any effort to adjust her life to Bentley or make everything puppy-proof.

Why?

Because Bentley had adapted right away! His first introduction was the first jeep ride Sam took with him in 2017. He loved every second and turned out to be a great puppy.

Since then, Bentley went everywhere with Sam as her faithful sidekick.

She couldn't have wished for better.

Almost exactly one year later, after their first jeep ride, something unexpected happened.

After repairing their grandfather's old Jeep, the Orr family embarked on a new adventure. This time it was a difficult route: a 4×4 off-road trail, also known as the Iron Chest Mine, their mother's favorite.

Sam doesn't remember much about the accident. Suddenly she felt the Jeep rolling and things were flying around, including her dog Bentley.

Sam lost her mother that day, and the sadness intensified when she discovered Bentley was gone, too.

Sam ended up in the hospital after the accident and hoped they would find Bentley before he was further injured.

Have you seen this dog?

Facebook support groups and organized searches began almost immediately after the accident. The entire neighborhood was involved in helping Bentley get back home.

News of the accident and terrible loss spread across the state. The media reported the story, news groups informed about it, and people were genuinely interested in helping Sam and the Orr family smile again after their horrific loss.

Phones rang continuously and some even called to make Sam think they had Bentley, just to get the reward.

People can be cruel.

But one phone call really made all the difference and gave Sam another glimmer of hope:

Someone had seen Bentley.

A man named Joe called Sam and told her he had seen Bentley and recognized him from the posters. He had been seen far above the trail, hunting rock mice.

A thoroughbred designer dog who was incredibly spoiled was in his survival mode eating rock mice!

How miraculous was this dog?

After 19 long days, Sam finally had confirmation of what her heart was telling her.

Bentley was still alive and now it was time to take him home.

The hike to save Bentley

On Saturday, Sam was back on her feet, ready for the expedition to bring back her puppy.

She also received news from the team that had recovered her crashed Jeep. They said they had seen Bentley and that he was barking at them.

The poor pup was so loyal that he stayed near the scene of the accident, watched their Jeep and waited for his beloved family to come and get him.

Standing at an altitude of 3km, Sam could see it clearly through her binoculars:

There he was. Bentley was waiting for her.

The climb began at 9:30 a.m. in the morning. Sam did love the mountains, but she wasn't really prepared for them. Can you imagine her climbing all the way up and down in just a pair of sneakers?

Yes, that's how much she loved that Goldendoodle.

With bruised ribs and a compressed vertebra, Sam pushed her limits and made her way to the top, driven by her love for Bentley.

When she finally reached the ridge, Bentley stood about 15 meters away from her. You would expect your dog to come flying into your arms. But after 19 long days, Bentley was too scared to move forward.

Every time Sam took a step forward, Bentley went 5 steps back into the mountain. At this rate, they would never make it.

Sam followed Bentley to another ridge, and another, and another....

How high will this puppy climb?

Then Sam remembered something she had read about dealing with dogs that were in survival mode.

She turned and started walking away from Bentley, making sure he followed her. That piqued the pup's interest, and he slowly began to follow Sam to where she first climbed up.

Then she sat down to rest for a moment, opened a can of treats and waited.

Little by little, Bentley got very close to Sam.... still a little reluctant, but very interested in what she had to offer.

That's when Sam made the viral Bentley video. The puppy finally recognized his crying mom and slowly walked into her arms, breaking Sam's heart into pieces and putting it back together.

Where is Bentley today?

Down the mountain was much easier for both Sam and Bentley. They took the other side of the mountain and rushed back down. This little one was finally going home.

Bentley looked okay and unharmed. However, he was severely dehydrated and starving.

The first few days at home, Bentley was very protective of his food. He ate every meal as if it were his last. Only God knows how he managed to survive 19 days without adequate food and water in the mountains.

Fortunately, nothing else was wrong with him and the Orr family began to live their lives day by day....

Bringing Bentley back brought enormous joy to Sam and her father, but they were still processing the loss of their mother.

And today, five years later, Bentley still lives with Sam. He loves his life, especially now that he has a sister to play with.

We all feel very sorry for this family and hope they will keep their mother Jennifer in their hearts forever.

As for Bentley, we hope he stays away from extreme adventures. One was already one too many.