Bentley, a lovable golden retriever, is just weeks away from receiving a custom prosthetic leg—designed and built with care by students from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
His owner, Ashley Liberto, has been by Bentley’s side since he was a puppy, forming an inseparable bond over the past eight years.
“He follows me everywhere. He’s so full of life and energy, and he just loves everyone,” Liberto tells PEOPLE.
But a few months ago, she noticed something was wrong—Bentley was limping.
“At first, the vet thought it was arthritis, but then his elbow swelled. An X-ray revealed a soft tissue sarcoma,” Liberto recalls.
An MRI and biopsy confirmed the worst—cancer in Bentley’s right elbow. The only option was to amputate the limb.
“I don’t have kids; he is my kid. It was devastating. Every night, I cried,” says Liberto, a middle school math teacher.
Thankfully, the surgery was a success. Bentley’s vet was optimistic that all the cancer had been removed.
Bentley’s recovery was nothing short of remarkable.
“They told me it would take about two weeks, but as soon as he saw me, he hobbled right over and adjusted quickly. On his second day home, he dragged me to the tennis court to chase balls. He just has this incredible will to live,” Liberto says.
A Classroom Mission to Help Bentley
As Bentley adapted to life on three legs, Liberto explored options for a prosthetic limb. However, custom prosthetics for dogs came with a hefty price tag. That’s when she turned to some of her former students for help.
At Providence Day School, teacher Todd Johnson leads a class on computer-aided design and 3D printing. His students usually create simple projects like keychains, but when Liberto proposed designing a prosthetic for Bentley, they eagerly accepted the challenge.
“I saw this as a fantastic opportunity for students to apply their skills to a real-world problem. Once they got their heads around it, I knew they would come up with creative, practical solutions,” Johnson says.
The class split into small groups, each working on a different design for Bentley’s prosthetic. One team, led by Brandon Hollis—a former student of Liberto’s—created the winning design.
“There was a real connection, knowing I was helping my old teacher and her dog. It made this project special,” Hollis says.
Over the next few weeks, Hollis and his team designed and built a harness and prosthetic leg for Bentley.
A Life-Changing Creation
When Bentley tried on the prototype, the results were better than expected.
“It fit way better than I had hoped! There are still a few tweaks to make, but once those adjustments are done, it should fit perfectly,” Hollis explains.
Even though the class has ended, the students are continuing to refine the design on their own time, determined to complete Bentley’s custom prosthetic.
For them, this project is more than just an assignment—it’s an opportunity to make a difference.
“A lot of times, we work on school projects without seeing their real-world impact. But when Bentley came in, it hit us—we were creating something that could truly help him,” says Reed Nobili, another student on the team.
Liberto couldn’t be prouder.
“Oh my gosh, seeing what they created was so moving. I cried. Our kids are so smart, and watching them apply their classroom knowledge to real-life situations—it’s truly incredible,” she says.
With a heart full of gratitude and a nearly finished prosthetic, Bentley’s journey continues—thanks to the kindness, creativity, and brilliance of a group of determined students.
