Boynton Alpaca Amputee Gets New Prosthetic Leg

An alpaca amputee from Boynton got a new prosthetic leg Friday.

News On 6 first introduced Cowboy the Alpaca a few weeks ago.    

Related: Fleecy Friends Alpacas Celebrating National Alpaca Farm Days

The young alpaca lost his leg last year but hasn’t let it slow him down. Cowboy was fitted at Friday’s appointment for his second prosthetic leg.

Derek Smith, his owner and Co-Owner of Fleecy Friends Alpacas, said he’s been doing really well with them so far, and he’s thankful to the Hanger Clinic for giving Cowboy a chance to live a normal life.

Smith said Cowboy was only three months old when he broke his leg last December.

"From there, we had two choices,” said Smith. “We could amputate him, and he could live a short life, or we could put him down, and neither one of those was a good choice. So, I said, ‘We're putting a prosthetic on him."’

Since then, Cowboy has been going to the Hanger Clinic in Tulsa for his prosthetic legs.

Korryn Hardin is the one at the Hanger Clinic who designed Cowboy’s prosthetic.

"I kind of watched a lot of videos on YouTube of Alpacas and Llamas walking to get an idea of what their motion looks like naturally, and then went off a mixture of an orthosis and prosthesis together,” said Hardin.

She said it’s been a challenge but one she was more than happy to accept.

"Every patient is different, but whenever it comes to an animal, it's a whole new world,” said Hardin. “You don't know how they're going to take it. They don't understand what we're trying to do to them."

All the hard work was worth it when she saw Cowboy moving around like normal.

"It's just really fun and cool to see him almost take off running across the parking lot, whereas otherwise, he wouldn't have much of a chance,” said Hardin. “It's just really awesome to give back."

"When you have an animal that has an issue, a broken leg or something, they're still your animal, and you still love them,” said Smith. “So, a little bit of money to save them and keep them around is well worth it."

If you are interested in learning more about Cowboy or visiting him, you can follow them on Facebook at Fleecy Friends Alpacas.

Fleecy Friends Alpacas is open for tours by appointment.

For more information on the Hanger Clinic, you can visit their website.