Hero, one of the nicest golden retrievers you could ever imagine, had a very rough start to life. The poor pup grew up on the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, having been born with a deformed elbow joint and a crooked front leg. Life on the streets was tough, and Hero was extremely lucky to have survived the ordeal, as he had to compete with Istanbul’s 50,000 other stray dogs for food. The starving dog was in desperate need of love and care, but that’s when a miracle happened.

Along with 35 other stray golden retrievers, Hero was rescued by Adopt a Golden Atlanta and flown 5,000 miles to the U.S., where, as fate would have it, the Taylor family was looking for a friend for their one-eyed golden named Jack.

That was just wonderful. I’m so happy that Hero got the medical attention and love he so desperately needed.