UP dog receives custom prosthetic leg

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (WLUC) - A U.P. dog is back to chasing squirrels, thanks to prosthetics.

Jack is an eight-year-old mixed-breed dog with three legs. He lost a leg after being hit by a car when he was almost one.

Jack was an active dog until about a year ago. His owners, Rod and Lori Moynan, noticed he was tripping and falling more than usual.

They reached out to Hanger Clinic to design a custom prosthetic leg. Hanger was able to create a mount and a leg for Jack, but they needed help designing a paw. Lori recruited Maker North Inc. for the task.

The entire process took months to complete, but Jack is now walking and running on four legs again.

“He does great with it,” Lori said. “It’s a learning curve because he’s used to a three-step system, but he’s learning now to trust it more. All it takes is a squirrel and he forgets about all of it. He just goes.”

Maker North Inc. says this project inspired them to tackle more ventures like this one in the future.

“We’ve had the opportunity to actually impact and make a significant impact on the pet’s life and the owner’s life. It allows for a better quality of life,” said Joseph Bertrand, Maker North Inc. founder and director. “From that starting point, it really makes us want to participate in stuff that involves that type of sentiment to make sure that the dog is good and the owners are happy.”

Rod, Lori, and Jack are all very thankful to both Hanger Clinic and Maker North Inc. for adding comfort and longevity to Jack’s life.

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