We all love our pets. They become a part of our family, the furry friend we can’t live without.
But we don’t always expect others to love them as much as we do. So for one North Carolina teacher, when her dog became sick with cancer, she did what she needed to save him.
The 8-year-old feisty gold retriever had his right front leg amputated, but got a new lease on life, albeit a slower one.
But for Ashley Liberto, there wasn’t any other option for Bentley. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”
“It was very nerve-racking, scary; it was very emotional,” Liberto said. But after his recovery, the dog regained his happy personality, but struggled to remain as active.
It was amazing to see his recovery and will to live,” Liberto said.
But the pup would get more tired, she said, having to work hard to make up for his missing leg.
But when she approached students in her school’s 3D printing class, they jumped at the chance to help her dog out, even though this would require more work than they had ever done before.
The 3D printing class teacher, Todd Johnson said, “I thought it was a great opportunity for the students to see a real-world application for what they’re learning at school. I knew once the students wrapped their heads around it, they would come up with designs that are viable solutions.”
Bentley recently lost his leg due to cancer. Student’s at his owner’s school banded together to help build him a prosthetic leg. Photo by WCNC Charlotte
“We were working on simple stuff like keychains, this was a very massive leap,” Brandon Hollis, a senior at Providence Day School, said.
“How can you not help Bentley, obviously,” Hollis said. “Just seeing Bentley walk into class and seeing the very real impact this project was going to have was really something special.”
“It’s pretty cool. A lot of times, we do these kinds of projects and don’t get to think of it as doing much or helping someone, and then Bentley showed up, and it was like, we’re doing this to help someone and help such a sweet dog,” Reed Nobili, another student working on the prosthetic, says.
3D printing class teacher, Todd Johnson, left, and his students work on a prosthetic leg for a teacher’s dog. Photo by WCNC Charlotte
The students worked on the project, measuring Bentley and solving the logistics of making a harness that would hold the prosthetic to the dog’s body. But once they were finished, the dog and his owner were thrilled.
Despite needing to make a few minor changes, Liberto is ecstatic.
Students are amazing,” Liberto said. “They have such an imagination. They want to do big things In life.”
Bentley, who is now cancer-free, is quickly getting used to having four legs again.
“Oh my gosh, seeing what they came up with was so moving. I cried. Our kids are so smart, and the fact they can take what they’re learning in the classroom and see it in real-life scenarios — it’s really moving.
Watch the paws-itively inspiring story below!
