Zorro, Lance Mackey's main stud-dog, is back in Alaska after being treated for injuries sustained when Mackey's sled was struck by a snowmobile during the All Alaska Sweepstakes Race.

Though he'll never pull a sled again, Zorro -- who helped pull Mackey's sled to two Iditarod victories -- is walking, something vets originally had given a 50-50 chance of happening.

Mackey described the dog as "beat to hell," and said his recovery could take up to six months. according to a report by KOMO-TV in Seattle. (You can read it here.).

"He was really kind of down and out when we first saw him at the vet," Mackey said. "When I walked in I saw his tail start wagging and thumping on the floor so that was real encouraging." Mackey says he is still working on a trail safety fund to make sure accidents like this don't happen again.

The dog was riding in Mackey's sled as a result of a sore shoulder during last week's All Alaska Sweepstakes race. During the early morning hours, a snowmobile going about 60 mph crashed into the sled. Mackey leaped from the sled, but Zorro was asleep.

Zorro was treated at a veterinary hospital in Tacoma emergency hospital for what were described as potentially life-threatening injuries, including four broken ribs and bruising.

Zorro neither yelped nor moaned when the accident happened, said Mackey, who put Zorro back in the sled and finished the last 15 miles of the race.