3D Printer for VINE Sanctuary

Juniper is a victim of an egg industry that places no value upon male birds. This little rooster had a deformity so severe in one leg that he could not put any weight on it. He was struggling to drag this limb behind him, but his other leg had trouble compensating and bent out at an abnormal angle. Juniper has had to have the bad leg amputated and will need a prosthetic limb to help him get around.

Individual prosthetic devices are expensive, but recent technology can enable us to produce such limbs affordably ourselves. For this, VINE needs to purchase a 3D printer. The printer we need costs $1400 and will more than pay for itself in short order, not only by allowing us to create a series of devices for Juniper as he grows but also by increasing our ability to respond creatively to the needs of sanctuary residents into the future.

Leg problems are all too common among birds at the sanctuary. Roosters rescued from cockfighting often develop severe joint problems, the worst of which require amputation. A 3D printer will allow us to make custom-designed prosthetic limbs for roosters (or hens) as needed. The 3D printer will also give us more treatment options for larger birds by allowing us to design and print parts for carts and other mobility devices.

Thompson came to us from a cruelty case in which there were neglected and dead animals found on the property. He was extremely thin and unable to walk well due to nerve damage possibly caused by past starvation. With the help of generous donors, we were able to purchase a custom-built cart for him so he could move around freely. A 3D printer will allow us to adapt the cart for the next bird who needs it.

VINE has faced challenges in a creative fashion, going back to our very first year, when a young hen named Hazel had a leg problem similar to that of Juniper. Back then, we used Tinker Toys and vet wrap to create a make-shift walker for her. More recently, we used old patio furniture, bungee cords, and even more vet wrap to make a physical therapy sling for an emu with an injured leg. With our new 3D printer, we will be even better able to craftily and thriftily "up-cycle" found materials into valuable sanctuary equipment. We are SO EXCITED that this new technology exists and has become affordable enough to be within our reach.

Your contribution will be a "3D donation" because it will help in three ways:

It will allow us to make what Juniper needs right now.

It will increase our capacity to help other birds in the future.

It will help the sanctuary save money in the long run.

Please give now, so that we can get to work on the 101 ideas we have for putting this technology to work at the sanctuary, starting with a prosthetic device for Juniper!