From Stray to World Traveler: How One Dog Changed a Woman’s Life

When graphic designer Sarah Klein found a scruffy stray dog cowering under her car during a rainstorm in Istanbul, she had no intention of keeping him. “I wasn’t even a dog person,” she admits. But something about the timid terrier mix—whom she named Börek after the Turkish pastry—changed her mind.

What began as a temporary foster situation turned into an extraordinary journey. Three years later, Börek has visited 37 countries with Klein, from the lavender fields of Provence to the beaches of Bali. The once-skittish pup now sports his own passport full of stamps and an Instagram following of 250,000 fans (@BorekTheExplorer).

“The irony is that he rescued me,” says Klein. “Traveling alone as a woman could be lonely. Now we’re a team.” Their story has inspired a children’s book and raised $80,000 for stray animal rescues worldwide.