Paws for thought: Pet dog fitted with £10,000 bionic leg



A beloved pet bulldog has been fitted with a £10,000 bionic leg, which will help advance prosthetic techniques used to help bombing victims.



Coal, an eight-and-a-half year old hound had his left paw amputated because of cancer last year. He faced being put down because his other legs would be too weak to carry him.



Coal is back on his feet again after he underwent revolutionary false limb surgery pioneered on victims of the 7/7 London bombings

But his determined owner Reg Walker, shelled out thousands of pounds to fit him with a sophisticated bionic leg, which was designed to be compatible with Coal's own tissue.



The titanium alloy used mimics animal hide, allowing the skin and the bone from above to seal the metal implant below without it being rejected by the body.

It is only the second time such an operation had been performed on an animal, using a technique performed on a survivor of the London 7/7 bombings.

Man's best friend: Reg Walker (l) was determined to give Coal a second chance with a bionic limb (r)



Vet Noel Fitzpatrick told the Enfield Independent: 'This is unique in that its the world's only implant into which skin and bone grow. It is the holy grail of research.



'If you have an accident and your bone sticks out through your shin, skin will try to grow round it. People have been trying for this for years and years -because with this we get an umbrella of skin attached to the metal.'

Mr Walker, who is a music industry security guard was thrilled with the results.

He said: 'When I found out about Coal I was gutted. He goes everywhere with me - he goes on tour, he's the only dog to have allowed into Live 8 and the only dog that has ever been backstage at the Royal Albert Hall.



'Now he has an absolutely normal quality of life, which he wouldn't have had before.'