'Wiener Dog' with Disability Gets a 3D Printed Wheelchair

article by Bonnie Burton | CNET | Jan 28, 2015
Tiny wheelchairs have helped disabled tortoises, baby goats and even goldfish to lead active, happy lives. So when the news hit that Bubbles the two-legged wiener dog was walking again thanks to a 3D-printed wheelchair, we weren’t surprised.

After all, another puppy nicknamed TurboRoo stole our hearts when we saw the little fella rolling around in his 3D-printed wheelchair last August.

In this case, Bubbles the dachshund was born without her two front legs. Her owners Trevor Byers and Elissa Smoak decided to build her a wheelchair.

They used a combination of “carbon fiber, 3D-printed parts and a model airplane, with the hope that others would be able to utilize the same design for their own dogs in need of a wheelchair,” according to 3ders.org.

Byers uploaded Bubbles’ wheelchair design to MakerBot’s Thingiverse for other pet owners looking for help.

“Bubbles is the reason I bought my printer in the first place and she loves the freedom it has given her,” Byers said on his Thingiverse page.

As you can see from these videos of Bubbles playing with her fellow canines, the wheelchair is a hit.