Wilbur the basset hound has a new lease on life thanks to his prosthetic stinger.
Sadly, the 2-year-old dog was born without any venom glands, so he had no way to inject deadly toxins into people and animals. It was heartbreaking to see Wilbur struggle, completely unable to immobilize prey with paralyzing agents.
Enter Kevin Piers of the Caring Paws Society. His organization heard Wilbur’s tragic story and decided to help out by 3D-printing a mechanical stinger capable of delivering a fatal dose of neurotoxins with a single prick. Although Wilbur’s disability prevents his body from producing its own lethal chemicals, his owners are able to fill the stinger each morning with a cocktail of venoms milked from various serpents and spiders.
Inspiring!
Wilbur took right to the high-tech prosthetic, and today he’s like a changed dog. When he runs around the park, stabbing other dogs and passersby with his brand-new, fully functional death needle, you can see the happiness on his face!
Science FTW!
