The Bionic Dog

The word "bionic" may sound familiar to you, especially if you are a fan of Legos, but do you know exactly what it means?  Something that is bionic has electronic or mechanical parts.  Have you ever heard of a bionic dog?  Meet Naki'o, the world's first bionic dog, a truly unique animal!

When Naki'o was just a puppy, he and his littermates were abandoned during a freezing winter in Nebraska.  Luckily, the puppies were rescued, but unfortunately, Naki'o lost his legs and the tip of his tail due to frostbite.  These parts had to be removed, and Naki'o was no longer able to walk, but could crawl around on his belly.  Although this seems like a sad story, Naki'o's story is really a story of survival.

What Naki'o needed was prosthetics to fit onto what was left of his legs so that he could walk again.  A fundraiser was held, and people generously donated $1300, so he was able to get fitted for prosthetics, but for his back legs only.  He did so well with moving around on his new legs that the company that made the prosthetics, Orthopets, took care of his front legs for free.  Overall, everything would've cost $4500.  Now, Naki'o can do anything another dog can.  Just watch him go!



Vocabulary:
bionic - using electronic devices and mechanical parts to help with tasks by acting as a body part
adjective:  Because the mysterious glowing stone looked dangerous, a bionic arm was used to pick it up so it could be examined in the laboratory. 
prosthetic - the making and fitting of replacement parts, such as artificial limbs
noun - When the man lost his leg in an accident, he was fitted with a prosthetic to help him walk again.