DUBLIN, Ga. — A prosthetic arm or leg can give a person a new outlook on life and make them feel whole. The same can be true for animals, too. One Mercer grad makes prosthetics for a living and shows us the prosthetic paw he made for a sweet pup.
Most days, Goose heads to work with his owner, Mercer grad Chris Scrivner who works for Boland Prosthetic and Orthotics.
"If I don't bring him in a room with me. He's trying to sit by the door and scratches at the door to come in," Scrivner said.
Scrivner and his wife adopted Goose about a year ago when he was just a pup, and he only had three paws.
Scrivner then made a prosthetic paw for the red-fox lab.
"It was bizarre how quickly he picked it up. He kind of started off hoping around with it, and then eventually learned how to walk with it probably within 30 minutes," Scrivner said.
Just Goose's mere presence puts patients at ease, bridging the gap.
"A little bit of a confidence booster to see that a little dog can get along on a prosthetic leg, and that's what you're about to head towards doing," Scrivner said.
Goose helps comfort kids, "especially with things like autism," Scrivner said one of the patients had to be wrapped up for a scoliosis brace. Goose sensed it right away and didn't hesitate to give a paw.
"Goose hopped up on the table with him and put his prosthesis and his paw on the table with him on his chest, and this kid just calmed down," Scrivner said. "Walking is one of those things that I think a lot of people take for granted. You don't really realize how incredible that ability is until it's gone,"
Goose isn't the only dog Scrivner has helped. Some folks have asked for him to venture out further.
"Somebody asked me the other day if I would try to do a deer. I said if you could hold the deer down, I could maybe do it," Scrivner said.
Mercer's marketing communications office received a silver case advance circle of excellence award for its 2021 video "Mercer alumnus makes prosthetic for a puppy missing a paw."
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