Losing a dog is losing a part of ourselves.

Any dog lover knows this and has gone through something that made them learn it.

But for Samantha Orr, losing Bentley was a life-changing moment.

She had to find him.

It wasn’t only pain and grief. It was resilience and faith. It was trust, love, and community. It was a story that redefined her purpose in life.

Orr has always considered Bentley her first adult purchase.

Her mother was against Bentley’s purchase.

She said that she wasn’t really ready to take on the responsibility, especially when she was in France.

Orr believed otherwise. She just felt that it was the right time and Bentley was the right dog for her.

Eventually, he came into Orr and her family’s life and he was quickly taken in as one of their own.

Everything changed on one fateful trip.

Orr’s family are avid 4×4 drivers. As a matter of fact, the life-changing moment was Bentley’s second jeep trail ride already.

From the get-go, Orr felt everything was off.

The morning they needed to set off, her grandfather’s jeep broke down. Some of the guys had to go back to town to get some parts so no one was really in a rush.

They were on the move again after a few hours, but none of them expected the next events.

Almost at the end of the trail, Orr’s mother lost control of the jeep. Orr, her mom, and Bentley tumbled down a steep ravine.

On their first tumble, the soft top of the jeep tore open. Orr remembered seeing Bentley roll over her head and disappear through the jeep’s roof.

Orr lost her mother that day.

To not make things worse than they were, family members told Orr that Bentley was back at the cabin and was safe.

Then, when they finally reached the hospital, Orr’s world caved in deeper when she heard her uncle say that a search party was set out for Bentley.

Bentley was not found that day. He was lost in the wilderness and Orr didn’t know where to start.

In just one day, she lost the two things she loved the most in the world.

Days and weeks passed.

The search for Bentley continued.

Facebook groups shared photos of Bentley and Orr shipped some of her clothes back to the trail sight so they could be used as a lure.

After 17 days, the first true lead emerged. A witness saw Bentley overlooking the ridge where they fell.

He was barking at the recovery team salvaging her mom’s truck as if he knew what the truck meant for the family.

Orr wasted no time.

She climbed to where Bentley was seen.

After one of the most challenging climbs Orr had ever experienced, a dirtied dog cautiously approached her.

He was in survival mode all those days and he just needed some time to remember who she was.

Orr caught the moment on video.

Bentley walked towards her bit by bit, and you can feel Orr trying her best not to cry right then and there.

Then finally, after 19 days of being apart, Bentley was in Orr’s arms once more.

“Nothing could cure the pain in my heart over the loss of my mom. But having him back was one less loss to endure and I will be forever grateful to have my mountain man safely at home,” she said on her website.

And while healing is a continuous process, Orr wouldn’t have to go through it alone because Bentley is now with her.

See Samantha and Bentley come together again in their heartwarming reunion video below!

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Source: YouTube – Inside Edition, Facebook – Bring Bentley Home, Samantha Orr