Bentley, a golden retriever, is just weeks away from receiving his custom prosthetic leg, designed and crafted with love by students from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ashley Liberto and her beloved golden retriever Bentley have been inseparable since she first brought him home as a puppy eight years ago.
“He follows me everywhere. He’s full of energy, full of life, and he loves everyone,” Liberto tells PEOPLE.
So when Bentley started limping a few months ago, she became deeply concerned.
“The vet initially suspected arthritis, but then his elbow swelled. An X-ray revealed a soft tissue sarcoma,” Liberto explains.
Further testing, including an MRI and biopsy, confirmed the heartbreaking diagnosis—cancer in Bentley’s right elbow. The only option was to amputate the affected limb.
“I don’t have kids; he’s my kid. It was devastating. Emotionally exhausting. I cried every night,” says Liberto, a middle school math teacher.
Fortunately, the surgery was successful. The veterinarian performing the procedure was optimistic that all the cancer had been removed.
Bentley’s doctors told Liberto that his recovery would take about two weeks.
“The moment he saw me after surgery, he hobbled toward me and adapted almost instantly. We have a tennis court, and on his second day home, he dragged me there to get balls to play. He just has this incredible will to live,” Liberto recalls.
Once Bentley was back on his feet, Liberto joined support groups for “tripod dogs” and started researching prosthetics. However, she soon realized that custom prosthetics for dogs came with a steep price tag. That’s when she reached out to some of her former students at Providence Day School for help in finding a more affordable solution.
The school offers a class focused on computer-aided design and 3D printing. The instructor, Todd Johnson, explains that it’s an introductory course where students typically learn to create basic shapes—such as keychains—using the technology. But when Liberto suggested the idea of designing a prosthetic leg for Bentley, the students were eager to take on the challenge.
“I saw this as a great opportunity for students to apply what they’ve been learning in a real-world situation. I knew that once they wrapped their heads around it, they’d come up with some fantastic, practical designs,” Johnson says.
The class split into small groups to develop different designs for Bentley’s prosthetic. Team leader Brandon Hollis and his group ultimately created the winning design. Having been one of Liberto’s former sixth-grade math students, Hollis was especially motivated to help his teacher and her beloved pet.
“There was a real connection. Seeing Bentley in our classroom and knowing we could help him made this project truly special,” Hollis shares.
His team spent weeks carefully crafting a harness and prosthetic leg for Bentley.
“It fit way better than I ever expected. There are still some small adjustments to make, but once those are done, it should be a perfect fit,” Hollis says of the near-final prototype.
The students are determined to complete the final version of the prosthetic within the next few weeks. Although the class has officially ended, these dedicated young designers continue refining their work in their own time.
“It’s pretty amazing. A lot of times, we do class projects without fully realizing the impact. But when Bentley walked in, it hit us—we’re doing this to help a real dog, and that’s something truly special,” says Reed Nobili, another student involved in the project.
Liberto is overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Oh my gosh, seeing what they created was so emotional—I cried. Our students are incredibly smart, and watching them apply their classroom knowledge to a real-life situation is truly inspiring.”
