ABOVE: See how a Brutus the Rottweiler is getting around these days – thanks for four prosthetic legs
TORONTO – Thanks to the wonders of science and a little help from his owner, one Rottweiler is walking the road to recovery – in every sense of the word.
The two-year old Rottweiler named Brutus was struck with adversity early in his life: he got frostbite on all four of his feet as a puppy. His owner tried to amputate the damage himself, which left Brutus maimed and missing all of his legs.
“If he ended up in a shelter they’d say he was unadoptable because he’s missing his feet,” Laura Aquilina, Brutus’ new foster mom, told KDVR News in Denver, Colorado.
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“I think it’s good for people to know we can work with animals like this.”
Brutus now gets around with help from four prosthetic legs, making him only the second dog ever to have all four of his legs replaced by prosthetics.
The limbs were designed by OrthoPets of Denver, a company which specializes in the making and fitting of replacement limbs for various animals.
“Brutus is an amazing case of a beautiful dog who was dealt a short hand,” said Martin Kauffman, the founder of OrthoPets. “He can get out and do normal doggy things. And it just makes you feel so good.”
It’s not always pretty. As Brutus is still getting used to the new legs, his gait and stride are far different and more awkward than that of a normal Rottweiler.
“He’s able to walk in them. It’s not always pretty. We want to be able to give him a higher function, where he can run and play with other dogs, go on hikes,” Aquilina said.
Brutus still has to undergo physical therapy at CSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, to get his body accustomed to the limbs.
But a dog with no limbs is today running and playing with his owner – the road to recovery suddenly seeming far from impossible.
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