Meet Keating! He is a 13 week old adorable puppy, a mixed hound breed. He is a congenital amputee, which means he was born without a complete right front leg. Keating came to us all the way from Chattanooga, TN. We found him through Traci, a prosthetist in Tennessee, who volunteered to fit the dog with a prosthetic leg. Traci wanted to help the local shelter find a permanent home for him with a prosthetist that would continue to make new legs as he grows. She sent an email to an online network of prosthetists, and Mark answered the post.
Traci put us in touch with April with the rescue group “MARC” to finalize the arrangements. After several phone calls to make sure the fit was right for us and the puppy, April arranged transportation. A driver picked up the puppy in Chattanooga and was able to take him to Wytheville, VA. I made the 3 ½ hour drive south to Wythville and was ready and waiting for the puppy. Thanks to Traci and April, Keating and the Millers are now one happy family.
When we got him, he had two prostheses that worked okay, but needed to be modified. The first time we put the leg on him, he ran across the field, but the leg wouldn’t stay on. We tried the second leg the next day and it stayed on great, but is a little short. That was enough for Keating though. The leg enabled him to run through the campground in Fayetteville, hang out on the boat and play on the banks of Summersville Lake. Welcome to the Miller family, Keating, get ready for a life full of adventure!
When we finally got home Saturday night, Keating was ready to play. I bounced a ball across the floor, and Keating took off after it, grabbed it and delivered it right back to me! I couldn’t believe it. The thumping of the right leg was too cute. Check out Keating’s first ball fetch!
The puppy has a great temperament and is very smart. He listens well and is eager to please as he learns new tricks. We are working on come, sit and “bang” (where he rolls over and plays dead.) Now our goal is to train and license him to be a therapy dog for our patients.
Why the name Keating? Mark watched Robin Williams play Professor Keating in the Dead Poet’s Society the night before Robin’s death. In honor of a comedian/actor we both loved, we chose the name Keating for our new puppy.
We are also planning to bring 3D printing into the practice, where we can use it to make new sockets for Keating. We are headed to a 3D printing conference next month and hope to learn about the printers and software necessary to bring another leading technology into the office.
Let us know if you want to meet Keating. Call Mark anytime at his office line 304-699-2373.
