Kyle and his dog Katana used to complete thousand-mile hikes without breaking a sweat – but when the adventurous pup lost her vision, she also lost her confidence. The two had been halfway through completing the 2,650-mile hike of the Pacific Crest Trail when Katana’s left eye started to cloud over from glaucoma. They took a break from the trail so she could undergo surgery for her vision loss, but they quickly returned to the west coast so they could finish the hike. Two years later, Katana was blind in both eyes – and Kyle was heartbroken to see his hiking companion doing something as simple as trying to get through the living room. Instead of retiring his dog from hiking, he decided to try to come up with another plan to regain her confidence. After some training, Kyle took Katana on the Florida trail, a grueling 1100 mile hike through the swamps and rivers of the everglades. They began in early January, and despite her disability, katana would walk a few miles of the trail on her own every day. Whenever they got to marsh or floodwater Kyle would strap the 21 pound pup to his backpack and carry her through the treacherous terrain. After 72 days of hiking, they finished the trail in late March. Collectively, Kyle had carried Katana for 800 miles – but since Katana had also walked 200 miles of the trail all on her own, she had undergone a noticeable transformation. He said “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,” “Katana went from cautious and timid to confident and curious.” “She’s not just dealing with her new circumstances — she’s thriving, and she’s thriving wherever she goes,” Rohrig added. “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.”