The Internet was introduced to Derby the husky about a year ago when his story went viral. He was rescued by Melissa Hannon of Peace and Paws, and adopted from there by Sherry Portnova. At Peace and Paws, Derby was scooting around using his hind legs and chest due to his underdeveloped front paws. However, South Carolina's 3-D Systems printed him some prosthetic legs that allowed him to truly walk, reported Nature World News.
These new legs held him close to the ground and essentially taught him to walk somewhat upright without having to drag himself. This gave him unprecedented mobility and joy. It was a great first step that taught him how to use walk on prosthetics, explained Gizmodo.
Now, 3-D Systems has kept up with the husky's development and created a pair of 3-D-printed prosthetics for Derby that allow him to walk upright, just like any other dog. He can even sit up now! His back is now straight, perfectly parallel to the ground, so he is walking even more comfortably, reported Gizmodo.
Watch below as the lead engineer of the project, Tara Anderson, explains the different prototypes that they tried out with Derby before finding his perfect fit. See what Derby's adoptive owner has to say about this amazing technology, and don't worry - clips of Derby happily plodding along with his new legs are dispersed throughout the video.
