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Although Woodie, a pit bull puppy, seems to be fairing well on two paws for now. "When we got him, he was about four pounds," Jenn Grelck of Plainfield, Woodie's current co-owner said. "But the last time he was at the vet, he weighed 44 pounds." Jenn said a staff member from the Will County Humane Society in Shorewood had contacted Jenn and Jenn's David Grelck about Woodie back in September. The assumption is someone had dumped the then 5-week-old Woodie in a forest preserve near Route 52. Another person found the puppy, who was missing both hind paws, and brought him to the Will County Humane Society in Shorewood. Because staff know the Grelcks had foster experience, and because Woodie would need his bandages changes every day, Grelcks were asked if they might give this dog a chance, Jenn said. "I said, 'Well, do you have a picture?' And they sent me an adorable picture," Jenn said. "David and I met him the next day. By Sept. 21, Woodie had his own Facebook page, Woodie the Wonder Pup, where fans can follow his progress, and Jenn was posting that some of the orthotics and prosthetics students (pictured is Christina Lunde with Woodie) from Joliet Junior College were going to create 3D prosthetics for him.
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"The first couple weeks were difficult for him," Jenn, pictured with David, said. "The back legs were not very strong and the front paws were a lot stronger. But he did start walking and he figured out how to go up and down the stairs." During the meetings with Woodie and the Grelcks, Bunde discussed with them their goals for Woodie's future and their expectations from the prosthesis. Once Bunde had that information, she began experimenting with designs and materials. Bunde said the prosthetics will fit like a pair of socks, so they're easy to remove for bathing, she said.
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The JJC veterinary technology program took X-rays to help size the devices and assess any bone damage. A volunteer orthopedic surgeon for the program recently removed a piece of bone from one of Woodie's damaged paws. "The only downfall is that one leg in the back is slightly shorter than the other one," Jenn said. "We're hoping a brace will level that out."
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Because Woodie is still growing, Bunde surmised the first set of prosthetics would not fit and they did not. But she is still working on the project, which is all done outside of class time, Bunde said. "My main goal was to get him something like dog boots he would be able to wear temporarily over the winter with the snow and ice," Bunde said. If Woodie does not have well-fitting prosthetics by the time Bunde graduates in May, Bunde will continue working on the project until he does, she said. "I want to finish what I started and see the outcome," Bunde said. For now, Woodie has adapted and is doing well in his Canine Good Citizen classes. Jenn said Woodie is a good listener and a fast learner. Her goal is to take Woodie to see children in schools and hospitals. She feels Woodie, just by being Woodie, carries a valuable message. "It's OK to be different, to have braces or prosthetics," Jenn said.