Animals are no strangers to the medical advancements of 3D printing. More and more creatures, 
Ten-year-old Boris the Tortoise, weighing just three pounds, narrowly survived an attack from a 90-pound tortoise, but, in the process, was blinded and lost his beak and a large portion of his jaw. Boris’s owner, Amanda Hipps, 
While Akut-3, aka “RoboTurtle”, was a wild sea turtle whose beak was replaced with a titanium 3D print from a high-end machine, Amanda and Cody’s pet tortoise Boris received a facial prosthetic that was made, in part, with the low-cost B9 Creator 3D printer. Justin Finesilver, Director of Operations & Marketing for 
Justin tells me Amanda, is now a huge believer in the technology. Impacted so strongly by the power of 3D printing, Amanda has paid extra for the services required to restore Boris’s chewing ability in order to start a fund for other animals in need of prosthetics. Justin says, “She believed so strongly in the cause of 3D printing and its possibilities with animals that she felt it was the right thing to do!”
Amanda describes her motivation by saying, “My husband, Cody, and I have had so much support from our family, friends, and community to try to help Boris in his quest for a new jaw. Everyone involved with helping us rebuild Boris’s jaw has unexpectedly donated their time, materials, and expertise and we could not be more grateful for the generosity that has surrounded us.”
In turn, she wanted to give back, saying, “Cody and I really wanted to pay it forward and we felt that starting a fund for animals in need of 3D printing would be the best way… Otherwise, 3D printing as an option for Boris would have never crossed our minds. We hope our story can at least reach one person who may be able to help their pet using 3D printing technology.” And, because The 3D Printing Store is currently expanding – including four shops in Colorado, one in Utah, one in Iowa, and one in Texas – even more people will be introduced the ways that 3D printing might improve theirs lives or the lives of their pets.
Though unfortunate circumstances may befall our beloved animal friends, I’m thankful that these stories are spreading awareness and driving solutions that may not have been discovered any other way. We’d prefer not to see them undergo any suffering, but if they have to, Boris’s story demonstrates that the spread of information powered by the Internet, combined with 3D printing, can bring about a new generation of RoboTurtles, as well as RoboDucks, Dogs, and any other creature under the sun.
For the ABC news story of Boris the Tortoise, watch below:
