Walking the Camino with Maverick: Colby’s Story of Friendship, Struggle, and Strength

For Colby Millsaps, walking the Camino de Santiago without her dog Maverick was never an option. Adopted during a difficult period in her life, Maverick became her support animal and constant source of comfort. When she planned her pilgrimage, bringing him along felt natural — even if it meant extra challenges like finding pet-friendly lodging and adjusting routes. In her book Con el Perro, Colby shares how Maverick’s presence made the Camino richer, turning it into a journey of resilience, companionship, and unconditional love.Walking the Camino with Maverick: Colby’s Story of Friendship, Struggle, and Strength.

Walking the Camino with Maverick: Colby’s Story of Friendship, Struggle, and Strength

When most people dream of the Camino de Santiago, they imagine a backpack, a pair of worn-in shoes, and maybe a guidebook. For Colby, the journey also included Maverick — her loyal support dog and constant companion. Their story is captured in her newly released nonfiction book Con el Perro, which chronicles not only the miles walked but the emotional terrain crossed.

Colby is no stranger to writing; she’s published fiction before. But this was her first deeply personal work, born not out of a plan, but from the encouragement of fellow pilgrims and friends who followed her day-by-day posts during her 2018 Camino Frances. What started as journal entries and Facebook updates became a heartfelt memoir about travel, mental health, and the bond between a woman and her dog.

A Journey About More Than the Camino

While Con el Perro follows Colby and Maverick step-by-step across Spain, it’s not simply a travelogue. At its core, the book is about living with depression and anxiety — topics Colby feels are too often glossed over or romanticized.

Her Camino wasn’t always “sunshine and roses.” Some days ended in tears, exhaustion, and rejection from accommodations. Walking with a dog in Europe wasn’t as simple as in the U.S., where support animals have broad legal protections. In Spain at that time, only guide dogs for the blind were widely recognized, so Colby and Maverick often faced extra hurdles to find a place to stay.

But Maverick wasn’t just a pet. He was a lifeline — a support animal she’d adopted months before the Camino, during one of the most challenging periods of her life. Leaving him behind was never an option, even if it meant extra work, longer days, or sleeping outside.

Challenges, Kindness, and Unexpected Paths

Traveling with a dog meant giving up some of the quintessential “Camino experiences” — dormitory life in albergues, late-night pilgrim bonding, and the ease of walking into most accommodations. But it also opened unexpected doors. Maverick’s needs led them off the marked trail in search of dog food, swimming spots, or veterinary care, introducing Colby to hidden corners of Spain and warm encounters with locals she might otherwise have missed.

Not every day was a triumph. Colby recalls her toughest moments — a night in Pamplona when Maverick became ill, or a brutally hot day in Villafranca Montes de Oca that ended in sleeping outdoors after multiple rejections. Yet there were also beautiful memories, like arriving in Santiago and, later, walking on to Fisterra.

Her journey didn’t end there. She attempted other long walks, including part of the Via Francigena from Switzerland to Italy, until a broken ankle forced her to change course. These experiences, and the resilience they required, are woven into her story.