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June 28, 2011

Lets Go For A Walk

This story is so heartwarming that I copy/pasted the whole story here. No other words necessary. Found this at All Creatures Great and Small blog.

"A dog who had all four of his paws amputated when he was just a puppy is going walkies once again, thanks to a brand new set of bionic legs.

Naki’o, a Red Heeler cattle dog, was abandoned in a frozen puddle and suffered such severe frostbite that he was left with just stumps to move about on.

His future was looking grim until veterinary surgeon Christie Tomlinson, who was looking for a playmate for her golden retriever, saw him at a Colorado rescue centre.

At first Naki’o was small and light enough to hold himself up on his stumps without too much difficulty.

But as he grew and gained weight it became painful for him to walk, especially on hard surfaces. ‘I felt so bad for him as his condition worsened,’ said Christie.

‘He is such a hyper and happy dog, but I was having to take him for walks in a stroller and carry him around.

‘He couldn’t be a normal dog, he couldn’t lead the life he wanted.’

Eventually Naki’o had to crawl along on his tummy at home and at the clinic’s daycare centre.Then Christie heard about a company called Orthopets in Denver, Colorado.

Founded by husband and wife team Martin and Amy Kaufmann, Orthopets began when Martin saw that his experience in creating human orthotic devices could be adapted for animals.

‘I felt it was barbaric that in the 20th century we were still amputating dogs’ legs,’ said Martin, who carried out the operation free of charge.

‘I thought we should be using the technology used for humans on our pets.

‘An animal is a much better patient than a human. They have drive, determination and they just won’t quit.
‘They don’t feel sorry for themselves.’
Since undergoing the pioneering surgery Naki’o can leap and bound with the best of them.Christie is amazed at her pet’s motivation and joy for life.

‘He was always a happy dog, but now he’s much more confident,’ she said.

‘It’s great to see him interact with other dogs at the park and play without a care.

‘Naki’o can now not only chase after a ball with other dogs, but he can beat them to the catch!’

Orthopets is working to open clinics worldwide. As well as dogs, they have fitted cats, horses, llamas and a stork with state of the art prosthetics."

Do you agree that this is a great story?


20 comments:

Ms. A said...

Heartwarming!

Rock Chef said...

That is great! Poor thing! But he looks so happy with his new legs.

Andrew said...

Oh yes, that is a great story! And thank you for posting it. I need to quit focusing on what is wrong and pay attention to what is right.

Brian Miller said...

that is so cool...this is a dog that might have been put down in another life but gets a second chance...very nice..

Gary's third pottery blog said...

bionic dog! looks like such a sweetie :)

DJan said...

I had seen a YouTube video of this dog playing, but I didn't know the whole story. it is definitely a heartwarming and welcome addition to my day. Reading about this dog's zest for life makes me smile and give thanks for people like Martin and Amy.

Robert the Skeptic said...

We had a story in the local news about a dog who had been hit by a car and lost it's right front and back leg. The dog was going to be destroyed but through surgery it revived. With only it's two left front and back legs it was able to hobble around, but when it stopped moving it would lean against a solid object. They affectionately named the dog "Lena".

LL Cool Joe said...

What a heart warming story! I love it!

Tabitha.Montgomery said...

woof!!

Maggie May said...

Marvellous invention.
Saw a cat with something similar on a vet TV programme not so long ago & she got on just fine.
(She's caught her feet in a lawn mower!) Ouch!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Maude Lynn said...

That is truly amazing!

Jeni said...

It's not only a great story but a beautiful one as well.
BTW -with respect to your comments on my post about my garden -as gardens go, mine is actually still a bit on the smallish side. It's larger than what I had last year, yes, but by my standards and thinking of the gardens my Grandpa always had in our back yard when I was a child, this thing is still just pint-sized! Mandy's boyfriend found some chicken wire and put it over the green beans and so far, it's working to keep unwanted animals from nibbling on my veggies!

Ina in Alaska said...

A wonderful story! What a happy ending for that sweet dog! Thanks for sharing!

Shrinky said...

Oh wow, such a heart-warming read, I'm so glad you posted it. What a wonderful happy ending to such a miserable start.

Liz Mays said...

So happy she gave him a better life. Wonderful story!

Syd said...

It is a wonderful story indeed. I am so glad that he is walking and living life.

Joanna Jenkins said...

OMGosh! That's amazing.
xoxo jj

Unknown said...

:) I love my pets. And thank God they are healthy and well.

This is a good story.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Wonderful!! This makes me day, really.

beth said...

what a fantastic heartwarming story....xo