Bulldog gets bionic leg
Prosthetic gives pup new "leash" on life
LAFAYETTE, Ore. (KYMA, KSWT, KECY/NBC News) - Christmas came a little early for a one-year-old bulldog from Oregon. She got the gift of mobility.
Willow spent 12-hours stuck in the birth canal during her delivery. The ordeal left one leg deformed.
Her adoptive family tried therapy, then surgery, but ultimately veterinarians had to amputate the English bulldog's leg. Willow's family didn't know what else they could do for her, until a group called Lily's Pad Rescue stepped in to help. It provided the young pup with a prosthetic leg.
"We have a very large family and it just wasn't in our budget to do something like that, and then Rachel looked at me and said, No, Lilly's Pad Rescue would like to donate this as a gift for her, and I just thought, wow, this is incredible, absolutely incredible." says Kim Auduva, Willow's owner.
Lilly's Pad Rescue was founded by Rachel and Ken Davis. It's named after their late dog, Lily Pad. The animal assistance group typically focuses on bulldogs born with spina bifida, but it does make exceptions for other dogs with special needs.
Willow's owner is thrilled her special dog will now get to live a normal life. "She's a puppy. She needs to be able to run like a normal dog, and now with her prosthetic leg, just to see her run for the first time..." says Kim.
"It's going to be amazing..." finishes her husband, Andrew.