EXCLUSIVE: Bay Area prosthetics maker devastated after eagle he was trying to help is euthanized
DALY CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- A Bay Area man is devastated to learn the prosthetic foot he was crafting for a one-legged eagle in Pennsylvania won't be put to use. The golden eagle named Aura was put down at the order of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Nam Duong's Daly City workshop makes a very specialized product for animals.
"Some call me the chicken feet maker!" He laughs.
After tinkering with 3D printing during the pandemic making masks toys, it was his love of animals and wanting to help others, that inspired Duong to turn his hobby into a prosthetics business called Pet1stProsthetics on Etsy to help more than just chickens.
"Ducks and I do help a lot of dogs, turkey, I did peacock I did goat, a finch..." he rattles on while showing off a boot made for a cat.
During the pandemic, Duong crafted hundreds of 3D-printed legs for animals in need across the country. He now also has clients around the globe in places like Japan and Europe.
VIDEO: Wildlife engineers save owl's life with 3D printed prosthetic
Most recently, it was a request from 2,800 miles away in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that held special significance.
"I saw it was an eagle and I was so anxious, I said this is my first one!" He beamed.
Aura the Golden Eagle, who is in the same family as our country's national bird, the Bald Eagle had been found in a field in need of care. She was brought to the Pocono Wildlife Rehab and Education Center.
Katherine Huler, the organization's founder and current Director of Educational Programming says the bird was underweight.
"She would not have survived that much longer out in the wild, certainly not without being fed."
It's believed one of Aura's talons got caught in a trap and was severed right below the ankle. After being seen by three doctors, her rehabbers at the nonprofit center say she was completely healed and thriving.
"Never once tried to bite, never one tired to talon. She was just incredibly soft and acceptive," says co-executive director Susan Downing. Videos sent to ABC7 News of Aura show her calmly being bathed and interacting with humans.
Aura who was estimated to be 3 to 5 years old was on track to become an educational animal. Duong was hired to make a prosthetic as a finishing touch.
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"She'd walk without so much as a limp." Says her rehab team.
All seemed on track until the nonprofit center received a letter from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, indicating Aura had to be euthanized because of her amputated leg.
"The order itself was received at around 1 p.m. last Thursday, and states to euthanatize immediately.
That could have resulted had we refused to cooperate with the federal order," says Janine Tancredi, Co-Executive Director of the center.
That very night, Aura was put down much to the devastation of the rebab center... and Duong.
"I almost wanted to cry, honestly, it's not right." He said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife sent ABC7 News a statement answering how the service determines if a bird should be euthanized or not.
The law states in part that euthanization must happen if a bird can't feed itself, or move without inflicting additional injury... if it's blind or have injuries requiring amputation.
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Aura's rehabbers say she was completely able to perch and expected to live a healthy and full 40 years.
"She not only survived the self-inflicted amputation due to the trap, but she also overcame the infection that came with it. She had an incredible will to live and for someone else to come in and say you survived all of this and now you have to be put to death anyway because you have a missing foot and that's our law...and there's no gray area," says Tancredi.
While the Service tells me they work closely with permittees and experts to evaluate situations on a case-by-case basis, the Pocono Wildlife Rehab Center says that wasn't the case- and felt they had no choice.
They, as well as Duong, hope this incident serves as a lesson for the future.
"A lot of animals are being put to sleep because of their disability, but we can change that," says Duong.
It is a sentiment echoed by Tancredi and the center team. "The case should be dealt with on a one-on-one basis...not all animals read a script. There's always an exception to any rule."
The Pocono Wildlife Rehab and Education Center says they care for about 3,000 birds yearly and as a nonprofit organization rely on donations from the public.
You can also learn more about Nam Duong's business Pets1stProsthetics at his Etsy page and Instagram.
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