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How 3D-printed prosthetics helped a disabled dog run for the first time

Derby is hitting his stride at last.

 

Miles Klee

Tech

Posted on Dec 16, 2014   Updated on May 29, 2021, 11:26 pm CDT

Probably the best measure of a technology’s value is whether it can be used to improve the lives of awesome dogs. And in that light, 3D printing just scored a major, heartwarming victory.

Below, you’ll meet Derby, a sweet pooch born with deformed legs. Though he was able to get around with the help of a wheeled cart, Tara Anderson, a director of project management at 3D Systems, knew her company could provide him and his owners with a less cumbersome solution. Still, nobody was prepared for how much he’d love his new prosthetics.

Now that he’s running a few miles a day, Derby’s living up to his name—we’d bet on him to win any race by a cold, wet nose.

Photo via 3D Systems/YouTube   

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*First Published: Dec 16, 2014, 6:07 pm CST