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All animals are beautiful and worthy of love, even if they are a little different. Some animals have disabilities, which unfortunately can lead them to being euthanized — but sometimes kind humans go out of their way to give them the life they deserve.
Like one dog, who lost her paws after surviving a life of abuse, and was nearly put down — until she got an incredible gift to help her “get back on her feet.”
According to CNN, the dog, named Monika, was found last December in the village of Plastunovskaya, Russia. The dog had apparently been abused and was found with severely damaged paws, which had to be amputated.
Rescue volunteers Marina Gapich and Alla Leonkina took in the poor dog, but were dismayed when experts told them the paw-less dog should be euthanized. Instead, they sought another option.
“We are her carers, we are responsible for her!” Marina told CNN.
They found a vet named Sergei Gorshkov, who has fitted dozens of animals for prosthetics. The rescuers raised 400,000 Russian rubles — equal to over $5,400 — to get Monika new legs.
For Sergei, it was the first time he had made prosthetic paws for a dog, but he took on the job. The set of four paws were made of titanium and created using a 3D printer and biocoated at Tomsk Polytechnic University.
Once the paws were created, the vet performed the surgery, giving Monika her new paws. However, no one was certain of how the dog would adapt to her new prosthetics.
But soon, Monika stunned everyone by immediately adapting to the new kicks.
“I don’t think we were optimistic… but on the third day she started standing up and walking around the clinic, going from room to room,” Sergei told CNN.
The vet was thrilled to see his work make such a big difference in the dog’s life: “I’m happy to give a new life to the animals since especially now during Covid,” Sergei said. “People find some consolation in animals and so by treating animals, I treat people.”
It goes to show the miracles that can happen when people don’t give up on animals, even when all seems hopeless. This dog went from nearly being euthanized to thriving on new, state-of-the-art paws.
The rescuers told CNN that they would continue to care for Monika, and were looking to consult with a behaviorist in London for further help.
What an incredible story. We’re so glad Monika is thriving on her new paws — thank you to everyone who never gave up hope and gave this beautiful dog a new life!
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