This disabled dog got a pair of 3D printed legs that will change his life forever

A lucky dog received the gift of walking again – with the help of 3D-printed legs.

The adorable husky, Derby, was born with no front paws and small, deformed front legs. His mobility was severely limited until Tara Anderson, a project manager at 3D design and printing company 3D Systems, took him in as a foster, according to USA Today.

"I had to try and help this dog," she said.

Anderson got Derby a set of wheels, but it wasn't ideal. It restricted his movement and wasn't as practical as she'd hoped. She and her team then got together to build Derby a brand new pair of prosthetic legs that would let him run.

Derby's artificial legs were created via a ProJet MJP 3D printer, which enabled rapid production of the prosthetics while employing a variety of materials, including rubber grips on the rocker base and softer materials for the cups.

"Having these images on file and being able to print them is a lot easier than having to hand sculpt every single mold and rebuild these braces five or 10 times," Derrick Campana, a ABC certified orthotist with Animal Ortho Care, told USA Today.

The 3D Systems team kept Derby’s prosthetic legs low to the ground so that his transition from wheels to prosthetics wouldn't be difficult. The husky instantly took to the new design and is now walking and running like any other dog.

"He's sitting like a real dog sits," his adoptive owner Sherry Portanova said in a video posted by 3D Systems.

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