Kyle Rohrig recently did something few would even consider attempting. The experienced hiker embarked on a new kind of adventure when he brought along his 8-year-old Shiba Inu named Katana who happens to be blind.
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Rohrig and the pup aren’t strangers to hiking together. However, Katana began a journey of losing her vision during their last 2,650-mile adventure and along with it, she lost her confidence.
The two were on the Pacific Crest Trail when Katana’s left eye began showing signs of glaucoma. They were forced to stop hiking to address it. Nearly two years after an initial surgery to deal with her condition, Katana was now blind in both eyes and barely able to navigate their own home.
“At first she was very cautious and timid about doing anything,” Rohrig said. “She seemed unsure of herself.”
Rohrig was confident that Katana could learn to navigate their home by memorizing its layout, but he wasn’t ready for something so simple to become her reality. So he thought up a plan.
After having completed numerous thousand-mile hikes together years prior—and barely breaking a sweat while doing it—Rohrig hoped a 1,100-mile adventure would be just what he and Katana needed. He told the Dodo, “I had my eye on the Florida Trail for a couple of years, but never made any official plans to hike it. After Katana went blind, I thought it would be the perfect trail to help her really come to terms with her new circumstances.”
After taking a full 72 days to do it, the pair finished the trail in March after beginning on January 8. For 800 miles, Rohrig carried his four legged friend and, miraculously, Katana clocked around 200 miles on her own, transforming back into a confident, adventurous dog in the process.
“When I brought Katana out here it was either to sink or swim. The only catch being, I wasn’t going to let her sink,” Rohrig said of their journey that involved mud, water, alligators, snakes, and busy highways. “The Florida Trail was about as monotonous and grueling as it comes.”
“I don’t know exactly how she did it, but she could lead me down the trail perfectly, without hitting a single obstacle while accounting for every twist and turn in the trail,” Rohrig said. “Katana went from cautious and timid to confident and curious.”
“She loved every second of the freedom out there and getting to explore new places,” Rohrig said. “I truly think that’s every dog’s dream.”
Now that the pair is back at home, Katana is living life to the fullest. She jumps on and off the couch or bed with ease and darts in and out of the doggy door to explore the backyard when she pleases.
“She’s not just dealing with her new circumstances — she’s thriving, and she’s thriving wherever she goes,” Rohrig concluded. “We have many more adventures planned, and I’m going to keep taking her until she ceases to enjoy them. We’re both living the dream.”
Guy Carries His Dog 800 Miles After She Loses Her Sight
This guy carried his dog 800 miles to help her love hiking again ?
Posted by Soulmates on Friday, May 24, 2019
