Travis Nevins '17, a trumpet player in UNH's pep band, and his guide dog Mathis, with Gnarlz.
Tucked underneath the seat of Travis Nevins ’17 in the Whittemore Center Arena, sits the pep band’s furriest and most lovable member. Mathis the golden retriever, Nevins’ guide dog, attends every UNH hockey home game, sporting custom-made doggy ear muffs to protect his hearing.
Nevins, an information technology major and trumpet player in UNH’s pep, jazz and symphonic bands, has Stargardt's macular dystrophy, which causes a loss of central vision early in life. He is considered legally blind, as impaired central vision affects his ability to see detail and color.
That’s where Mathis comes into play. The duo met at the Guide Dog Foundation in July 2015, and they have been inseparable ever since. The foundation matches highly trained guide and service dogs with people who are visually impaired or have other disabilities.
“I bonded with Mathis so quickly, much quicker than anyone else at the course,” say