[VIDEO] Naki’o: The World’s First Bionic Dog!

Animals often serve as amazing inspiration for their human counterparts and this dog Naki’o is no different. Naki’o went from being an abandoned pup who nearly lost it all to having a book written about his life!

Meet Naki’o

Naki’o is a mixed-breed dog who didn’t have the easiest start to his life. He was just a little puppy found in an abandoned home in Nebraska. While he was found along with some of his siblings, unfortunately, it was the middle of the winter. Out of all of his siblings, he was the only one found stuck in a frozen puddle in the cellar. The poor little guy somehow got separated and was all alone and must have been very frightened. However, little Naki’o had luck on his side because he was discovered and taken to an animal rescue center.

Frostbitten Pup

Naki’o didn’t escape unscathed, however; he suffered from severe frostbite and ended up losing all four of his paws and even the tip of his tail. While at the animal rescue center his paws finally healed into rounded stumps, his road to recovery wasn’t the easiest. When he was tiny, he could get around on his nubs but soon he was too heavy. For quite a while he was unable to walk or even play with the other dogs at the shelter because it would cause too much pain. He learned to move around by crawling on his belly. However, luck struck again for little Naki’o and he met a veterinarian assistant named Christie Pace who would soon change his life for the better!

Love at First Sight

The vet assistant, Christie Pace, had been searching for a new pet of her own. Clearly, she loves animals so much that devoted her entire profession to the cause. Christie spoke to ABC and said, “I have a soft spot for rescue animals in general. I was looking for something different, unique. I wanted to make more of a difference than a regular dog. I knew I could help him out.” She initially came across Naki’o on the website PetFinder and knew that he was the dog for her! When Christie adopted Naki’o he was only 8 weeks old. She quickly began to organize a fundraiser for him so he could get fitted with prosthetics.

A Wobbly Beginning

Christie and Naki’o were able to get in touch with the company OrthoPets. They were able to create amazing new prosthetics for Naki’o which gave him a totally new lease on life. When he first got prosthetics they were only on his back legs and he still struggled a bit to get around. The owner of Orthopets, Martin Kaufmann, immediately knew Naki’o would thrive with all four prosthetics. Ultimately, Martin was right and Naki’o took so well to the prostheses that the company did even end up charging for the process! The happy pup acted as though the prosthesis were his natural paws and he became the first dog to be fitted with a complete set of prosthetics. He truly is the bionic dog!

A Happy Ending

Naki’o can do everything a normal dog can do with his bionic paws, including running, jumping, and even taking a swim. Christie was overjoyed that Naki’o is now able to live a normal life and he seems happier than ever! She said, “Naki’o can now not only chase after a ball with other dogs, but he can beat them to the catch!” This amazing dog even inspired his doggie parents to open a rescue to help fellow dogs that need prostheses. Naki’o even had a book written about him called Stubby and His Magic Boots! What an amazing story! Check out this inspiring video of Naki’o story which was produced by Lucia Nazzaro and was shot and edited by Burton Bilharz.

Courtesy of HooplaHa – Only Good News