When Ben Weinman adopted his duck Waddles, all he wanted was for him to have a great life. Born with a deformed leg , Waddles hadn’t ever learned to walk .
Reliant on Weinman to carry him the places he needed to go, Weinman could only watch, heartbroken, wondering how he could help him further.
Weinman decided to contact a Certified Pet Prostheticist.
Wanting to give him the wonderful duck life he deserved, Weinman got in touch with Certified Pet Prostheticist Derrick Campana from Bionic Pets.
Working with Weinman and Waddles to get the exact measurements, Campana went about designing a custom 3D printed prosthetic for Waddles’ leg.
After getting used to it, Waddles takes his first steps.
At first unsure of the strange contraption, Waddles took a few moments to gain his footing before beginning to walk like he’d been doing it his whole life.
Watching the beautiful moment, Weinman expresses that he “didn’t think [he] would be emotional about this, but when you take these animals, all you want to do is give them a good life and do right by them.”
Weinman is beyond moved to see Waddles walking.
Touched by the change Campana’s prosthetic had made in Waddle’s life, Weinman goes on to reflect on his disabled duck’s journey. “You see them struggling, and you think there’s nothing you can do. It’s really heartbreaking. So yeah, Derrick knocked it out of the park.”
Watch the full video to share in Waddles’ happy moment.
You can see the whole story in the video above, and share the happy moment of Waddle’s first steps with his elated “dad” Weinman.
Any time that innovation and human craftiness can be used to better another creature’s life is a moment to be treasured. Do you have your own animal rehabilitation story? Let us know in the comments below.
h/t | My Modern Met
