There are events that mark our lives in an incomparable way. Our ARISTODOG or ARISTOCAT suffering is one of those events. Illnesses and accidents sometimes lead to the unfortunate situation where our ARISTOPET has to have a limb amputated. Anyone who has been through this knows how hard it is and how difficult it is to get back to normal afterwards. Fortunately, to bring light to such difficult circumstances, heartwarming initiatives emerge. Ideas that move us with their humanity, innovation, and creativity.
The one we are sharing with you today is an extraordinary example. To learn about it, we have to travel to Sterling, a town of about 27,000 inhabitants in Virginia (United States), where there is a guardian angel for animals. Specifically, for those who, unfortunately, have suffered the amputation of one of their limbs.
That angel is named Derrick Campana, a young man who founded an organization whose mission is to provide a good quality of life for animals living with amputated limbs. The organization, Animal Ortho Care, collaborates with non-profit foundations to provide a prosthesis (or several, as in the case of Chi Chi, this formidable rescued golden retriever) to any animal that has lost one of its limbs. There are only records of five other organizations doing this work in the world.
ARISTODOGS and ARISTOCATS, but not only that: also horses, goats, llamas, turtles, and even elephants. Any animal that needs a prosthesis will find its best ally in Animal Ortho Care. Through non-invasive techniques, they achieve the —apparently— impossible: an animal regaining its mobility, its joy, its will to live. For Campana, each of the cases he faces represents much more than a challenge; it's a personal matter of vital importance. And he has made miracles come true, like Motala, an Indonesian elephant, being happy again thanks to a colossal leg, created with ultra-resistant materials. Or Angel Marie, a pony whose front legs were accidentally stepped on by her mother at birth, walking safely through life again, as can be seen in this moving video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqxLvVyWjeQ
Monthly, Animal Ortho Care helps about 200 animals. In fact, in the twelve years of its journey, Campana estimates having seen about 25,000 animals worldwide. Currently, his technique already features 3D printing technology, which makes prostheses fit the animal's needs even better. This also makes the process much simpler and manufacturing much faster. Derby was one of the first dogs to experience the benefits of 3D prosthetics. And thanks to them, he not only regained his mobility but also his quality of life and the ability to play and interact with other ARISTODOGS, on equal terms.
Without a doubt, we are facing an innovative, deeply human, and admirable initiative. If you liked this news, we invite you to share the post. Because only by making such formidable projects known will we inspire more and more people to take action. If you want to learn about other commendable initiatives, we invite you to continue reading the post against “Black Dog Syndrome” and also about “The Yellow Dog Project”.
Finally, we leave you with this emotional video where you can see how one of these prostheses gives a dog back its will to live… and to put its life at the service of others. Speechless!