Teacher Ashley Liberto's 3-legged golden retriever is about to be fitted with a prosthetic leg - an impressive design from a group of middle school students.
A group of students at Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA together designed and built a prosthetic leg for the dog Bentley, the pet of teacher Ashley Liberto. This is the most meaningful exercise you have ever done during your time at school.
Ashley adopted Bentley eight years ago and is extremely attached to her four-legged friend.
"Bentley is full of life and energy, is always around me and is friendly to everyone," Ashley told PEOPLE news site.
When the dog started limping a few months ago, she was worried. After the vet took an X-ray and found a malignant tumor on Bentley's right front elbow, the dog was forced to amputate the affected limb.
"I don't have children, I consider Bentley as my own," the teacher said, adding that she cried a lot during that crisis.
The surgery was a success and all the cancer cells were removed, but Bentley was forced to limp with his remaining three legs.
As her pet recovered from surgery, Ashley began joining support groups for three-legged dogs and researching custom prosthetics for Bently. However, the cost of making such a product was too high for her financial ability. Ashley came up with the idea to ask students at school to help build a prosthetic leg for Bentley to save money.
Bentley the dog is about to receive a prosthetic leg designed by a group of students from Province Day School. (Photo: Province Day School)
Providence Day School offers classes in computer design and 3D printing. The classroom teacher, Todd Johnson, says it's an elementary class that teaches students to create basic shapes themselves - such as keychains - using technology. When teacher Ashley suggested trying out a prosthetic leg for her golden retriever, the students were excited to help.
“I think this is a great opportunity for students to see practical applications of what they are learning at school. Just focus, they will think of possible solutions, "said Mr. Johnson.
The whole class divided into small groups to come up with a design plan for Bentley. In the end, the design was chosen by the team of Brandon Hollis, who studied 6th grade math with Ashley. The children spent weeks creating a product that really works for the three-legged dog.
“This is amazing because I didn't think there would be a chance to do something so meaningful. Right now, our team needs some small tweaks to make the design more complete and fit the Bentley perfectly," Hollis said. Even though the class was over, the group continued to work on the project in their free time.
Ashley was touched by the student's enthusiasm. “The kids are very smart. I'm proud that they were able to apply what they've learned to real-life situations," she said.
