Samantha and her one-year-old golden-doodle, Bentley, were on an off-road trip through the Rocky Mountains with Samantha’s mom, Jennifer, when a rock fell in front of their car. Jennifer tried to avoid it, but the car ended up going over a 500ft cliff. Jennifer did not survive the accident, Samantha was seriously injured, and Bentley became lost in the wilderness. The heart-wrenching reunion unfolded when Samantha, who had thought she would never see her beloved dog again, was reunited with Bentley and broke down in tears at the sight of him being alive.
Samantha held out hope that her beloved Bentley would be found, even as the days passed and the chances of his survival seemed to grow slimmer. She created a Facebook page in the hopes that someone might spot the adorable pup, despite the belief of others that he was not still alive.
“My mom and my dog were my best friends,” Samantha said. “We know he is still out there and scared. We need to get Bentley back home to Kansas to his grieving family.”
Bentley was lost in the Rocky Mountains for 19 days before he was finally found by a Good Samaritan named Joseph Stratmann. Stratmann saw Samantha’s posts on Facebook and decided to take matters into his own hands to try to find the missing dog. His efforts were successful, and Bentley was about to be reunited with his mom. The moment was emotional for everyone involved, but especially for Samantha, who had been through a lot in the past few weeks. When she saw Bentley again, she couldn’t help but break down in tears.
“Eventually his fear got the best of him and he made his way to the ridge,” the young woman explained in a Facebook post. “I slowly but surely followed him, upon reaching the summit, I could see him watching me.”
Watch the reunion here!
“He’s safe and he’s coming home,” the owner said. “I am so happy. He just warms my heart, feels like home again I am just so grateful for everybody who helped.”