Chela the border collie, on an epic road trip, returns to Northern California 14 years after surgery

By Mike Carroll

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — A border collie’s journey has come full circle as she recently returned to Northern California for a check-up with a veterinarian. It’s all part of a greater journey involving thousands of miles from Costa Rica to the Arctic Circle.

Fourteen years ago, Chela the border collie came into the world in Loomis. That’s where Dr. Keidy Lisac first met her when she was a veterinary assistant and the dog needed intestinal surgery.

“And the owner at the time—she had mentioned that she was just a ranch dog—and that he did not want to invest in her,” said Lisac, who is now a vet with VCA Mueller Pet Medical Center.

Lisac had an uncle with a ranch in Costa Rica who paid for the dog’s surgery and took her.

That’s where Lisac’s cousin Noré Gómez enters Chela’s story.

“At the very, very beginning she was my father’s dog,” Gómez said. “But, you know, I think she just liked me more than my father, and she ended up being my dog.”

KCRA 3 was there as Chela got a new check-up from Dr. Lisac while making a pit stop in California.

“She looks great,” Lisac said.

This is a good thing because Chela is only halfway on her journey with Gómez.

Gómez has been working with Land Rover in Costa Rica, which is helping to fund his nearly 20,000-mile adventure to the Arctic Circle in a custom camper that he built.

“I designed it with this truck to be very capable off-road to reach those remote places,” he said.

Gómez wanted to bring Chela on his quest because he had concerns about the dog getting depression during the eight months that he would be away.

“I am concerned with her health,” he said. “Every month, I think she is better here than back at home.”

In addition to Chela, Gómez is also taking two more dogs, a father and daughter, to the northernmost regions of Canada and Alaska.

“I don’t really feel alone with them,” he said of his furry companions.

The group still has more than 2,000 miles to go to get to the Arctic Circle and then another 6,000 miles back to Costa Rica.

You can follow Gómez’s journey with his dogs on Instagram and YouTube.

He said Chela is getting regular vet check-ups along the way.

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