When Gonzo started tripping over his bowl three years ago, no one could explain, or stop, the rapid advance of his unexpected blindness. But a vet gave a very simple advice: you had to keep running him. This is how Gonzo, Alaskan Husky of the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, in New Hampshire, continued to be a sled dog, competing in the snow or walking tourists, thanks to the invaluable help of his faithful brother Poncho.
When Gonzo started tripping over his bowl three years ago, no one could explain, or stop, the rapid advance of his unexpected blindness. But a vet gave a very simple advice: you had to keep running him. That is how Gonzo, Alaskan Husky of the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, in New Hampshire, continued to be a sled dog, competing in the snow or walking tourists, thanks to the invaluable help of his faithful brother Poncho.
"When you have a dog like Gonzo, with such a need and such a great desire to run and go out, you try and see what happens," says Ben Morehouse, manager of the kennel that welcomes former professional sled dogs and former rescue dogs. Ben immediately realized that something extraordinary was happening: the two dogs communicated during the races and, contrary to the typical behavior of dogs trained to pull sleds that leave the others behind in the event of a fall, Poncho was always ready to offer a "paw" to the brother in need.
“Gonzo was running with his head turned to the right, for use hearing and smell to orient himself, but when he did not understand the direction of a curve or the speed at which to take it, he leaned on Poncho. The brother, instead of rebelling, thereor helped and accompanied him - adds the owner of the kennel, Neil Beaulie-. Once I had taken them along a ridge. The snow was deep, but soft. Gonzo got too close to the edge and slipped. Poncho, instead of carrying on, lowered his head into the snow, grabbed his brother with his teeth and lifted him up. Together they resumed the pace of the race as if nothing had happened. I've spent my life on sleds, but something like that I had never seen it".
Thus, despite the difficult life of sled dogs, Poncho and Gonzo continue to run side by side, demonstrating to those who just wanted leverage their capabilities that efficiency is not everything: Gonzo and Poncho are certainly not the most efficient sled dogs in the world, but they warm the heart more than anything else. And when it comes to running, they don't want to break speed records, or push any harder than they can. They just want have fun in the snow. Together. For this they are the best sled dogs in the world.
Roberta Ragni
Photo credit: AP Photo/Jim Cole
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