1.Kabang the Dog
Poor Kabang just wanted to save her humans from an incoming motorcycle. She leapt out in front of her owner’s two daughters, who were 9 and 3, knocking the motorcycle over and saving them from serious harm. In the process, she caught her face on a tire and had the top of her snout crushed.
She was flown to America for treatment after news of her rescue of the girls went viral. Before she could get the surgery, it was discovered that she had heartworms and cancer, which were then cured before the work could be done.
Finally, with all the work done that could be, Kabang was sent back home to the Philippines to be with her family.
2.Frank and Louie the Cat
These two (really just one) died this month, but his longevity is something that should be celebrated. He was what is called a “Janus cat,” and while he looked like a conjoined twin, he really just had twice as much face.
Typically, an animal like this dies within a few hours of birth. Frank and Louie lived to be 15 before getting put down while suffering from cancer.
According to his owners, he acted like a normal cat his entire life, with all the destruction and cuddling that entails. Hopefully he was extra nice to his humans, for obvious reasons.
3.Wheely Willy the Dog
Wheely Willy’s story starts out really sad. Paralyzed and with his vocal cords cut, Willy the Chihuahua was forced to stay at an animal hospital and wait for somebody to want him.
Eventually, a pet store owner brought him home and got Willy his wheels so he could wonder around like he wanted to.
Now Willy is the star of children’s books and spends much of his time teaching kids about how to treat animals with love. He also visits hospitals and convalescent care facilities. He’s proof that bad situations can turn good with a little help and a lot of perseverance.
4.Derby the Dog
Derby’s got some super weird, super cool new feet. Or rather, elbow pads. See, Derby has a deformity that makes moving around on all fours a painful, difficult process. First he was given wheels, and while that worked okay, it was still a bit too limiting for the pup. Derby loves to run around.
So elbow cups were printed up for him, made with a mix of materials that allowed them to sit comfortably on his elbows while also being able to take the abuse of a dog running around like a maniac. Derby gets to release a bit of his puppy energy, and we all get to see how adorable he is, doing it.
5.Beauty the Bald Eagle
There have been plenty of injuries on this list cured with wheels and prosthetics. All very impressive. But there’s something special about fixing up a bald eagle’s beak with a polymer replacement. It’s a weapon, eating tool, and distinctive facial feature all in one.
Beauty was the victim of an attack by a poacher, one that left the upper portion of her beak destroyed, and left her starving and unable to eat like a normal eagle. She recovered on a liquid diet, but that was a temporary solution at best. A kind engineer with access to a 3d printer stepped up to save the day, taking a mold of Beauty’s beak and creating a replacement.
Beauty continues to thrive in the Birds of Prey Northwest sanctuary.
6.Lazarus the Dog
Lazarus doesn’t have an incredible prosthetic, but he is immortal, and that’s kind of cool. Alright, not actually immortal, but still pretty incredible.
Lazarus was hit by a car and brought to an animal shelter. He recovered, and that’s neat, but not out of the ordinary. So far, so normal. When nobody wanted to adopt him, he was given an injection to put him down. Sad, but still normal.
What’s not normal is that the next morning he was up, walking around, and just generally being a living dog. A bit unsteady, apparently, but still alive. The story got out and Lazarus was quickly adopted, probably because the family wanted to bask in reflected glory.
7.Septimus the Tortoise
This poor guy was the victim of a rat attack in the middle of his winter nap. After the rodents chewed off his front legs and left him a maggot-infested mess of infection, it was looking like he would have to be put down. Of course, that was until it was decided to give him wheels.
We’re not knocking real wheels – whatever gets you from A to B is fine – but there’s something special about having wheels up front. It’s made all the cooler because this guy is a tortoise and the idea of seeing him zipping around is the best thing ever.
