August 2018 will always leave a bitter taste for the Orr family of Kansas.
In a month when everyone was comfortably enjoying summer vacation and making vacation plans, the Ors couple lost their loved one. The mother of the family, Jennifer, and her daughter Sam were involved in a terrible accident. Their Jeep crashed 600 feet down a mountain road in Chaffee County, Colorado. His mother didn’t make it.
They had a one-year-old Goldendoodle named Bentley. This tragedy was heartbreaking and shocking not only for the family, but also for those who did not know Sam and Jennifer.
For the surviving father and daughter, the only bright spot in this dark time was hope for Bentley’s survival. The puppy somehow escaped from the jeep and the owner was waiting for the puppy to return.
Could it be? Can a Goldendoodle live alone in the mountains for three weeks, away from its natural habitat?
No one believed him, but Bentley proved them all wrong and made them both happy despite their sadness. The trip that changed everything
Goldendoodle is on a leash
As of 2017, Samantha Orr was a young woman still studying abroad. As his adventures abroad came to an end, he suddenly had an idea to implement.
After returning to the United States to raise dogs. Although his family really loved dogs, they warned Sam that owning a dog comes with a lot of responsibility.
But the young lady didn’t care. He really wanted a dog. It was his first adult purchase. Enter their lives: Bentley.
Bentley was a golden widow that Sam brought home 24 hours after returning to the States. The connection was immediate, and Sam wasted no time fitting his life into Bentley’s or confronting the pup.
Why? Because Bentley adapted immediately! Kickoff was definitely Sam’s first Jeep tour of 2017. He absolutely loved every minute of it and turned out to be a really great puppy. Since then, Bentley has been Sam’s adventure partner, going wherever he goes.
He couldn’t ask for anything better. Exactly one year later, after our first Jeep tour, something unexpected happened.
After fixing up their grandfather’s old jeep, the Orrs start a new adventure. This time it was their mother’s favorite 4×4 off-road trail, also known as the Iron Chest Mine.
Sam doesn’t remember much about the accident. Suddenly he felt the jeep roll and Bentley the dog fell off his head.
Sam lost his mother that day and his grief grew when he learned that Bentley had also died. Sam went to the hospital after the accident and asked people to help find Bentley before he suffered more serious injuries.
Have you ever seen this dog?
Portrait of a Goldendoodle that survived the fall
Facebook support groups and organized searches began shortly after the accident. The whole neighborhood helped Bentley find his way home. News of the disaster and terrible losses spread throughout the state. The news sparked interest in the story, portals covered it and people seemed genuinely interested in helping Sam and the Orr family smile again after their terrible loss. The phones were constantly ringing and some were even trying to trick Sam into claiming they had the Bentley as a reward.
People can be rude in any way. But one phone call really made the difference and gave Sam a new glimmer of hope.
Someone saw a Bentley.
A man named Joe calls Sam and says he saw Bentley on a poster and recognized him. He was seen on the road hunting stone rats.
A designer dog of a corrupt breed went into survival mode and ate a stone mouse!
How strong was that dog? After 19 long days, Sam finally proved what his heart was saying.
Bentley was still alive and it was time to bring him home. The ride that saved Bentley
A hill with golden fields
On Saturday, Sam prepared for an expedition to retrieve his fur baby.
He also said Bentley, a crew member, barked at them when he saw them recovering a wrecked Jeep. The poor pup was so loyal to the odds that he stayed near the scene of the accident, kept an eye on the Jeep and waited for his loving family to come get him.
Now, at 11,000 feet, Sam could see clearly through the binoculars.
he was there Bentley was waiting for him.
The climb started at 9:30. Sam loved the mountains, but he wasn’t ready for them. Can you imagine him walking up and down in sneakers? Yes, he loved Altyndul very much.
With bruised ribs and a twisted spine, Sam’s love for Bentley pushed him beyond his limits and he headed for the ridge. When he reached the ridge, Bentley was standing 50 meters away. You expect your dog to run into your arms. But after 19 long days, Bentley was too scared to continue.
For every step Sam takes forward, Bentley takes five steps back up the mountain. At this rate we’ll never be able to catch up.
Sam follows Bentley over another ridge and again, and again…
How far up will this pup go?
Then, Sam remembered something she read about handling dogs that were in survival mode.
She turned her back and started walking away from Bentley, making sure he was following her. That sparked interest in this wild pup and he slowly began following Sam to the point where she first climbed up.
Then, she sat down to rest for a bit, opened a can of treats, and waited.
Little by little, Bentley came really close to Sam… still a bit reserved, but quite interested in what she had to offer.
That’s when Sam took the viral Bentley video. The pup finally recognized his sobbing mommy and went slowly into her arms, breaking Sam’s wounded heart into pieces and mending it back together.
Where Is Bentley Today?
Coming down the mountain was so much easier for both Sam and Bentley. They took the other side of the mountain and hurried back down. This Toto was finally going home to Kansas.
Bentley was looking fine and unharmed. However, he was severely dehydrated and starving.
For the first couple of days back at home, Bentley was super protective of his food. He ate every meal like it was his last. God only knows how he survived without enough food and water up in the mountains for 19 days.
Luckily, everything else was fine with him, and the Orr family started to live their life one day at a time… still processing the loss of their mother.
Bringing back Bentley brought immense happiness to Sam and her dad, but a mother is a mother.
“We’ve also added another fur baby to the family, “Buena”, his little sister named in honor of everything our family endured in Buena Vista, Colorado. I wish my mom were here today to meet little miss Buena, she would absolutely steal my mother’s heart. And I know for damn sure my mom would be so proud of Bentley and I.” said Sam on her website.
Today, exactly five years later, Bentley is still living with Sam. He loves his life, especially now that he has a baby sister, Buena, to play with.
We’re all terribly sorry for the loss this family had to go through, and hope they’ll keep their mother, Jennifer, forever in their hearts.
As for Bentley, we hope he stays away from extreme adventures. One was already one too many.
