Ronnie Graves, pictured with National Shelter Director Susie Coston and Senior Shelter Manager Tara Hess, fit Samantha sheep for her new prosthesis.
Ronnie in his lab, working on a prosthetic leg for a steer.
Ronnie also shares his life with beloved companion animals; here he is with HoneyBear, a little beagle he had until she was 17.
And here he takes a nap with Gabriel, his current companion, who likes to fall asleep this way alongside his humanimal friend.
Ronnie and his pal Luigi, a little donkey wearing a custom-made prosthesis for his left front leg.
Samantha sheep is living life to the fullest thanks to Ronnie’s expertise and love!
Meet Ronnie Graves, Who Works Behind the Scenes to Help Our Rescued Residents Stand Tall
It’s been a long eight months, but Mouse
pig has finally come home! As you may recall, Mouse was one of more than 170 animals rescued from a backyard
butcher case in New York’s Hudson Valley last fall. While initially wary of the rescuers who freed him from the confines of his filthy stall, Mouse quickly learned to
trust us, and we were immediately impressed by his indomitable
spirit.
Our first glimpse of Mouse: alone, filthy, and terrified. Once he was given the care and love he deserved, however, his personality and joie de vivre
began to shine through!
Unfortunately for Mouse, an untreated injury to his right rear leg –
which likely occurred when he was just a piglet – caused it to become withered
and unusable. And while he had learned to hobble around on three legs, we
feared that the strain of his weight would take a toll on his functioning legs
as he grew. Despite his ailments, Mouse’s spirits were high; finally
experiencing all the love and care he deserved
from shelter staff and his vets at Cornell, he felt free to just be himself.
Mouse during the early days of his extended stay at the Nemo Farm Animal Hospital at Cornell University.
In spite of his struggles, Mouse relishes
the simple joys that life has to offer, and he treats each day as the gift that
it is. And to help him continue to thrive in the long term, we knew he would require extensive treatment; over the months of his hospital stay, this included multiple surgeries, physical therapy — and the creation of a
prosthetic limb to help him navigate the world on all four legs. Fortunately,
we knew just the humanimal for the task!
Ronnie Graves is the owner of Veterinary Inclusive Prosthetics
Orthotics, an organization based in Bushnell, FL, that is dedicated to
providing state-of-the-art orthotic care for horses and other animals. A former resident of Trumansburg, NY (just 40 minutes away from our New York Shelter),
Ronnie has dedicated the past 20 years to giving farm animals with special
needs the ability to live life to the fullest!
Ronnie’s journey began in 1975 when he lost his own leg
below the knee after being hit by a loaded train car. At the time, Ronnie sadly
lacked the help he needed to support himself in the aftermath of the accident,
and after spending the next four years driving a truck, he unfortunately ran out
of money. However, in 1979, the State of Florida helped him get his first job in
the prosthetics field, which not only helped him regain stability in his own
life but also allowed him to help countless others – human and animal alike –
who faced similar challenges.
Ronnie’s first animal patient was a Morgan mare named
Scarlett, who required a knee brace. “I was successful in building one that
helped her,” Ronnie recalls. “If I had failed, it may have made me not do any
others.” Fortunately, the early success gave Ronnie the confidence he needed to
pursue this venture in the long-term, in spite of initial criticism from his peers.
“My associates laughed at me when I started working on animals 20 years ago,
calling it a waste of time. Now, they all call me for advice on how to make a
living from it.”
Since then, Ronnie has helped hundreds of animals, and feels honored that so many people come to him to help the animals
they love live as well as possible. And we are honored to collaborate with him
in helping our rescued residents receive the
high-quality, individualized care that they so deserve.
Ronnie’s first Farm Sanctuary charge, Samantha sheep, has
also been his most memorable. Samantha
was rescued along with nine other lambs from a neglect case in Ulster County,
NY. As she grew, we realized that her left hind leg would not extend fully, and
was about five inches shorter than normal. The excess weight she had to put on
her right hind leg to compensate for this imbalance caused that leg to become
severely deformed, and her leg was failing due to infection and degenerative
joint disease.
Before: Without proper support, Samantha’s legs were sadly breaking down.
“Cornell University got me involved,” Ronnie explains. “Samantha
needed a leg and a brace. I drove from Florida to Watkins Glen in January and
we fit her in a snow storm. She couldn’t wait to run once we put them on. And I
couldn’t wait to get south where it was warmer!”
Ronnie drove his Motor Coach from Florida to Watkins Glen to ensure that Samantha’s fitting went as smoothly as possible! Here, he’s parked in Watkins Glen, en route to delivering Samantha’s leg and brace.
Custom-made, just for Samantha!
The fitting process begins! Ronnie receives assistance from Susie and Tara.
Samantha adjusts to her new legs for the first time!
Ready for an adventure! There’s no stopping her now!
Fitting animals like Samantha for a prosthesis is a multi-step
process, in which the animal’s response must be scrutinized at all stages to
ensure a good fit. “First is an evaluation by photos to see if I think I can
help,” Ronnie explains. “If I think I can, I give a quote. If accepted, the vet
takes the cast or I drive in to cast myself. Then we pour the cast and modify
it to apply pressures where they need to be and give reliefs over bony areas. I
then manufacture the device and usually ship it up to be fit. From start to
finish is usually three to four weeks.”
For
Mouse, the process was much more complex due to the severity of his injuries.
“After modifying the present cast I heated ¼ inch Aliplast foam in an
infrared oven. Once heated, I pulled it over the cast and pulled the vacuum. It
molds to the cast. Then I pulled composite fabrics over the foam and pulled a
plastic funnel over the fabric. I mixed a special blend of epoxy resin that I
created in 2004 and I poured it into the top of the plastic funnel. Apply the
vacuum to this and the resin saturates the fabric and bonds to the foam at the
same time. I then created his leg shaft out of a PVC pipe, attached it, and
laminated it in place with the fabric and resin. I then trimmed it out and
created an opening for a door to allow the leg to slip on and be locked in
place. After I create the door opening, I have to relaminate it a third time to
create the proper door shape. A total of 50-60 hours are involved in making
each one.”
The fruits of Ronnie’s labors: Mouse settles in at our New York Shelter last week, ready to take on the world!
As
you can imagine, procuring these devices can be very expensive on
a sanctuary’s end, especially when additional veterinary stays and procedures
are also taken into account. A below-knee prosthesis alone runs for $12,000. Of
course, helping animals like Mouse live happy, healthy lives is worth every
penny, and it is through the support of caring people that we are able to provide each resident with the
individualized care that they require.
As
for Ronnie, his exceptional work for our animals is only surpassed by his
generous heart, as his prices reflect his concern for and commitment to each animal’s well-being
in the long term. “The amount I recover usually just pays for the materials and
shop expenses,” Ronnie says. And when Mouse’s first prosthesis didn’t fit
properly, Ronnie donated a second one to ensure that this special pig received the best possible fit. “I did it in less than a week to try and prevent him
growing out of it first,” he explains. “If this one does not fit, I may have to drive up and
cast Mouse myself.” Through his work with Mouse, Samantha, and every animal he
encounters, Ronnie takes each one’s specific needs and interests to heart,
allowing us to focus on what matters most: giving them all the love and care they need and deserve.
Shelter Manager Jill Tedeschi adjusts Mouse’s prosthesis as he enjoys his first meal at home!
Of
his experiences, Ronnie reflects that “losing a leg has led me into a wonderful
career, helping humans and animals alike. I think the attitude towards animal
prosthetics and orthotics is changing for the better. It’s not just sanctuaries
reaching out to help, but [private] owners too. If we could get a recognized teaching
program at a university vet program, it would go faster. I’m very proud to be
at the forefront of this industry.”
While
Ronnie is nearing retirement, he is passing his skills to an intern who will
continue his company’s efforts. “I’ll still be working on projects, but
probably not any human patients. I much prefer a three-legged jackass to a
two-legged one!” he jokes.
A kiss for Luigi; he and Ronnie are the best of friends.
It is with the help of pioneers like Ronnie that we’re able to give our special-needs
residents the care and support they need to live rich, fulfilling lives. It is an honor to work with Ronnie, and we are so grateful that he decided to pursue this labor of love, helping countless animals like Mouse and Samantha along the way. We look forward to watching Mouse’s progress continue and seeing him settle in to a happy life at sanctuary — and it is through Ronnie’s unwavering
patience and love that this new life is possible.
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