Since 2002, Derrick Campana has been making prosthetic limbs, artificial devices that replace missing body parts, for humans. But in 2004, a veterinarian came to Campana’s office with an odd request. The vet’s patient, a Labrador retriever named Charles, was missing one of his legs, and its owners wanted to help the dog walk on four legs again.
Like people, animals that lose limbs or are born without them can have many difficulties moving. But in 2004, no company was making prosthetic limbs for animals. Campana decided to change that!
Fast-forward 17 years, and Campana’s company, Bionic Pets, has helped more than 30,000 animals—from dogs to kangaroos. In 2018, Campana built a leg brace for an African elephant named Jabu. No matter how big or small the creature, Campana’s design and engineering process is mostly the same.
Since 2002, Derrick Campana has been making prosthetic limbs for people. These artificial devices replace missing body parts. In 2004, a veterinarian came to Campana’s office with an odd request. The vet was treating a Labrador retriever named Charles, who was missing one of his legs. Charles’s owners wanted to help the dog walk on four legs again.
Like people, animals can lose limbs or be born without them. Sometimes this makes it difficult to move or carry out certain tasks. Prosthetic limbs can help, but in 2004, no company was making them for animals. Campana decided to change that!
That was 17 years ago. Campana’s company, Bionic Pets, has now helped more than 30,000 animals—from dogs to kangaroos. In 2018, Campana built a leg brace for an African elephant named Jabu. No matter how big or small the creature, his design process is mostly the same.