The story of author Kyle Rohrig and his dog Katana is one of compassion, faith, and determination. According to Rohrig, Katana loves being outdoors and the two have been on quite a few hikes together.

Things, however, changed for the duo when Katana’s glaucoma progressed into blindness, all within 36 hours. “Seeing her go from a dog who had hiked thousands of miles through remote wilderness to being cautious about crossing the living room was heartbreaking,” Rohrig said.

Despite Katana’s limitations, Rohrig continued encouraging her to participate in hikes as before. He trained Katana and taught her commands like “careful” and “stop”.

In two months’ time, after requisite approval from doctors, Katana was out in the wilderness again, completing the 1,100-mile-long Florida trail alongside Rohrig. Even though he carried her through the tougher parts, Katana succeeded in hiking almost 200 miles by herself.