Article updated: 1/25/2013 10:49 AM

Blind NH sled dog thrives with brother’s help

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Sled dogs Poncho, left, and his blind brother Gonzo are hooked up for a run at the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, in Jefferson, N.H. Poncho has taken to helping his blind brother on regular runs.

Associated Press

Ben Morehouse guides a team of sled dogs, including a blind dog Gonzo and his brother Poncho through a field below the Presidential Range in the White Mountains in Jefferson, N.H. The Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel takes in rescues and "second-chance" dogs and is also home to a blind dog that relies on his brother to keep up with the rest of the team.

Associated Press

Ben Morehouse at the Muddy Paw Sled dog Kennel in Jefferson, N.H. The kennel takes in rescues and "second-chance" dogs and is also home to a blind dog that relies on his brother to keep up with the rest of the team.

Associated Press

A group of sled dogs from the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel runs a trail in Jefferson, N.H. The kennel takes in rescues and "second-chance" dogs and is also home to a blind dog that relies on his brother to keep up with the rest of the team.

Associated Press

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Neil Beaulieu at the Muddy Paw Sled dog Kennel in Jefferson, N.H. The kennel takes in rescues and "second-chance" dogs and is also home to a blind dog that relies on his brother to keep up with the rest of the team.

Associated Press

About this Article

When Gonzo started tripping over his food dish three years ago, no one could explain or stop the Alaskan husky's quickly advancing blindness. But a veterinarian offered some simple advice: "Run this dog." Gonzo, one of 120 dogs at Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, was happy to comply. With help from his brother, Poncho, he soon resumed his place pulling a sled all over New Hampshire's North Country to the delight of tourists and his caretakers, who quickly realized that if Gonzo didn't treat his blindness like an obstacle, neither would they.