November 21, 2007

Meet Isobel, a six year-old husky-mix who loves to run. She's a sled-dog working out of Churchill, Manitoba, whose job involves pulling tourists along the icy flows of the Canadian wilderness.

But Isobel isn't like the other dogs she runs with. She has an amazing ability – she can run with her pack, sometimes leading them, even though she's blind.

Isobel wasn't born blind though. Owner Jenafor Ollander says that one day during a run, Isobel stopped suddenly and began stumbling around.

A vet later explained her retinas had detached – possibly from a virus. It's unknown exactly why that happened, but soon after Isobel was put on house rest.

But time in the house wasn't well spent – Ollander says the dog wouldn't eat or drink, and was depressed – until one day, one of her fellow dogs came into the house – and Isobel perked right up. Ollander says she thinks the sled-dog just missed her pack.

So she decided to return the dog back to snow.

Back in the fluff, Isobel ran faster than ever before – using her nose, ears and sense of touch to navigate. Ollander says the dog can even lead the group – when in tandem with another lead dog.

Isobel has even won a few races since going blind. But her caretakers say that at six, she's only got a few years left before she'll have to hang up her harness. Retired or not, though, Isobel definitely has a knack for sensing victory.

Tell us what you think under this story. Post your favorite pet videos at the zootooTV tab. Email us your story ideas at news@zootoo.com or call us at 877-777-4204.