Prosthetics can change the lives of our four-legged friends too.
After a tragic incident, a neglected two-year-old Rottweiler named Brutus lost all four of his paws. The sad story goes as follows: after Brutus’ little feet got frostbite, his breeder decided to amputate all of his paws himself — probably a task that would have been best left for veterinary professionals.
Luckily for Brutus, OrthoPets, a veterinary prosthetics company in Colorado, stepped in to save the day. The pup was given a second chance at freely strollin’ around with four new prosthetic paws. He got his two rear prosthetics back in September 2014, and a couple of months later, he got his front-paw prosthetics. The surgery was tedious, and his new owner told the Coloradoan that the doctor had to remove bone fragments from Brutus’ mangled paws in preparation for the prosthetics.
Now, Brutus’ story is unfolding much happier than it began. He lives with his new owner who is determined for Brutus to succeed as he continues to learn how to get along with his prosthetic paws.
Many people automatically associate prosthetic limbs with disabled humans or wounded soldiers, but the burgeoning field of technology is also important for animals in need.
Just like Brutus’ story, there are a number of other heartwarming tales of disabled or injured animals getting a second chance at life through prosthetics. Winter, a dolphin at Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, lost her tail after getting caught in a buoy line, but she can swim around freely again thanks to the scientists who designed her an artificial tail. A bald eagle named Beauty nearly lost her beak after it was shattered by a hunter, but her new life-like prosthetic beak enables her to grasp her food and feed herself again.
The field of prosthetics is accomplishing some pretty amazing things — a new era of prosthetics may even restore a near-natural sense of touch.
Watch NewsBeat Social’s video to see Brutus strut the streets with his prosthetic paws.
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