In May 2021, my dog Luna, my cat George, and I moved from Shreveport, Louisiana to Bend, Oregon. I got the opportunity of a lifetime to work as an animal caretaker at Freedom For Great Apes in Tumalo. It was a dream come true. Once we moved to from Louisiana to Bend, everything changed.
I wasn’t worried about the humidity or the ticks any more so we could hike as much as we wanted. Luna could live her best life in Bend and she wouldn’t miss out on any adventures because of the environment. But I knew when I adopted her in Louisiana that she would have issues during our hikes like most dogs with disabilities.
Dogs with disabilities can still go on adventures
One of the things that I’ve noticed is how much attention Luna receives from fellow hikers during our hikes. People tend to stop and admire her fluffy white coat and her tiny size for being a miniature Australian shepherd. They also notice her unbelievably stylish goggles. But as cool as Luna looks in her goggles, there is an important reason as to why she needs them. She, like many dogs with disabilities, needs hiking tools for her safety.
What most people don’t know about Luna is that she is a double merle.
Double merles exist due to bad breeding practices. Irresponsible humans breed two merle patterned dogs to get a higher rate of puppies with the desired marbled coat pattern. This unfortunately breeds dogs with disabilities.
Unfortunately, there is a 25% chance puppies born from breeding two merle genes together will be double merles. Due to the lack of pigmentation in the skin, double merles are born with hearing and visual impairments. Luna was born completely deaf and with starburst pupils, meaning her pupils do not react normally to light. This causes her light sensitivity issues. This is why, along with many other dogs with disabilities, she needs to wear goggles when she is hiking.
On top of her being deaf and light sensitive, Luna was also recently diagnosed with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, an auto-immune disease in which the body destroys its own platelets.
Despite Luna’s disabilities, her ability to experience adventures in Central Oregon is not by any means limited. We just have to take it slow. Because we live in Bend, Oregon, her adventures are aplenty!
To ensure Luna and other dogs with disabilities never miss out on any adventures, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite hiking essentials that Luna uses on our hikes together:
Rex Specs
Luna is a professional goggle wearer. She has had her goggles for about a year now, and is quite comfortable wearing them during our hikes. If you check out their website, there are a lot of resources available to help train your dog to feel confident and comfortable in the goggles. These goggles are great for all dogs – not only dogs with disabilities – as they are a great way to offer protection for their eyes!
Booties
Luna has a pair of Ultra Paws dog boots that I bought after our first hike in Oregon. Her sensitive paws were not used to the Central Oregon terrain. She ended up with a few abrasions after hiking Smith Rock State Park. Check out Bend Pet Express to find the perfect size for your pup.
Ruffwear Harness
Our collection of Ruffwear gear continues to grow! Luna never leaves the house without her Ruffwear harness, but on longer hikes, Luna sports her Front Range Day Pack. It’s been a great way to store hiking essentials and keep them in one place. Plus it saves room in my backpack!
K9 Sport Sack
An essential for our longer hikes is the K9 Sport Sack PLUS 2. With Luna’s health issues, I can’t guarantee that she will have the energy to hike long distances. The sport sack comes in handy when Luna needs a break from hiking. This backpack guarantees that Luna will never have to miss out on any adventures!
Vetericyn
Vetericyn is crucial in this rocky and rough terrain. I always make sure to always have our antimicrobial wound & skin care spray on hand. This prevents infection in case Luna cuts her paw or gets bad sunburn due to her sensitive skin.
Treats
Every dog has their favorite treats. Luna’s current favorite are the training treats by Nulo. These have awesome nutrients and clean ingredients so I know Luna’s health is in check.
Camera
I personally love documenting my hiking adventures with Luna. A dog’s life is too short as it is. So I always bring my camera gear. All my photos are taken with my Sony Alpha a7ii with a Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 lens. I also use my iPhone 11 Pro Max to document our adventures together.
Luna and I are so grateful to live in a place that offers so many incredible dog-friendly hiking trails and campgrounds. I’m also grateful that Luna is so mobile and she can access some of the more strenuous trails around Bend.
Author: Karla Garcia
Karla received her BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Science from Oregon State University in 2014 and has since worked at various sanctuaries around the world where she has worked with big cats, elephants, bears, raptors, farm animals, chimps, and everything in between. Currently, she is a chimpanzee caregiver at Freedom for Great Apes, a small chimpanzee sanctuary located right outside of Bend. Her love of the great outdoors and chimpanzees made Bend, Oregon the perfect place to call home. On her free time, she goes on weekly adventures around Central Oregon with Luna and photographs their journey together.