Given our long time love of pets, recent love of robots, and our soft spot for cyborgs, it’s only natural that the little dog Naki’o warmed our hearts. Why? Because he’s the worlds first dog ever to be fitted completely with a set of prosthetic paws on all four legs.
As posted on incrediblefeatures, Naki’o and his brothers and sisters were abandoned by their family who fled their foreclosed home. Naki’o was barely 5 weeks old when he and the rest of his litter tried to survive the Nebraskan winter. At some point, the frail puppy got his paws stuck in an icy puddle in the basement, causing him to have severe frostbite. His paws had to be removed and healed into rounded stumps, forcing him to move only by crawling on his belly.
After seeing the poor puppy in the animal rescue center, veterinary technician Christie Tomlinson raised money to have prosthetic paws attached to his stumps. It was a bit challenging at first, but Naki’o adapted quickly to his bionic legs. Now all he needs is a cape, and he’s officially a superhero!