At the age of twenty I was a student at a local college, looking to finish grade twelve credits leading into a trade program. One day, shortly after leaving the school parking lot on my motorcycle, I had an accident that rendered me in the hospital and a rehabilitation facility for the following seven months. Both legs where in pretty bad condition, and so were my wrist and back. It wasn’t until five months later that I was able to have amputation surgery (due to the extent of the fractures in one of my legs). The conditions of the amputated leg proved to be a challenge. I had a lot of difficulty finding a comfortable and functional prosthetic leg that fit.
The next two years proved to be a very trying time for me, with much frustration due to my inability to be accommodated with a prosthetic leg while trying to get on with life. This was one of many turning points in my life, and I decided I was going to do something about it. All I wanted to “do” was learn more about the prosthetic profession and industry. And I wanted most of all to accommodate myself with my own prosthetic leg and not have to rely on anyone.
I received my training at George Brown College, in their Orthotic and Prosthetic technical program. My personal determination and drive soon led me into an inspiring career that has seen me work with various kinds of prosthetic users of all ages. The more I learned, the more I understood the challenges that orthopedic doctors, prosthetists and prosthetic technicians had to contend with. I understood this in regards to my own complications as a prosthetic user, as well.
It wasn’t until nine years after the initial accident that I had my last surgery to the amputated leg. Over those nine years I underwent six other surgeries.
The stresses of being physically-challenged while trying to survive in society—insufficient funding, having to work a part-time job, maintaining a regime of exercises to strengthen my legs while sustaining a full-time academic course load—had broken my spirit (many times over again). But my spirit came back stronger every time.
This was due in part to Stash.
Stash was a beautiful black lab mix-breed dog who I’d adopted in my first semester of college. Stash kept me physically active, and emotionally comforted.
After I conducted my prosthetic apprentice time in Ontario, passed all my requirements, and received my Canadian Board of Prosthetist and Orthotist Certification, I decided it was time to move back to Nova Scotia, where I consider it to be my home.
Unfortunately, there are no prosthetic companies at which to apply for a job in Nova Scotia, except for the NS Rehabilitation Centre.
After several months of me living in Nova Scotia and being in limbo career-wise, Stash suffered a knee injury and tore her cranial cruciate ligament (commonly known as ACL injury). Having no money for the $2,500 surgery made me feel pretty bad. I felt awful for not being able to help Stash. Once again thinking outside the box—which at this point in my life was a common occurrence—I reasoned that Stash would benefit from a knee orthosis, just as a human would with the same problem.
This thinking-outside-the-box-attitude became the catalyst for my new inspiration.
Being armed with a research and development plan and a business plan allowed me to acquire support from the Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency to fund and support my initiatives.
Working initially with several local dogs with various disabilities and injuries allowed me to address many clinical and technical challenges that come with canine patients, such as hairy bodies, which are a problem when trying to cast the dogs for orthotic and prosthetic fabrications. After fabricating their orthotic and prosthetic devices, I allowed the dogs some time to wear and get used to the devices, and I followed up on their progressions and suggested various supportive treatments that could benefit the different designs and applications. The results of my research concluded that canines benefit from orthotic and prosthetic applications as much as people do.
From there it was a matter of putting my business plan into action. I was ambitious and I was determined, which proved to be great character attributes that helped me make changes where necessary, keep focused, and continue moving forward.
I was very lucky to have support from many professional associates, mentors and (more importantly) a collaborative team of friends to carry me along the way with support where I could not.
My lack of business management, accounting and lack of capital financing were weak points. With training from Henson College Self-Employment Business Program and formal support from Halifax Regional Development Agency I was able to launch my very first business. As any good entrepreneur, I must continually find solutions or ways around roadblocks and hurdles. I am now a proud team leader with a professional staff of five full-time employees, and an excellent business mentor support team to assist in the ongoing growth of the business that has created its own market internationally.
I currently have products all around the world, from Australia to Europe. My services and products are in demand, as is my experience on an academic level working with the veterinary professional communities to educate them on how orthotics, prosthetics, and our custom-design canine wheelchairs can benefit their clients.
K-9 Orthotics & Prosthetics has a reputation as a premium supplier on the market.
The word is now funneling down to dog owners and veterinarians about the importance of orthotic and prosthetic treatment, and how such treatment can enhance the quality and duration of the canine life while preventing them from suffering unnecessary discomfort. The use of orthotics post-operatively or long-term is no different than what we offer to humans with the same problems.
Just like for humans, dogs who could benefit from orthotic, prosthetic, and wheelchair services require a referral and involvement from a medical doctor (veterinarian) to ensure a safe functional application of a device. Veterinarians evaluate and assess the canines and work with K-9 Orthotics & Prosthetics. And sometimes we make house calls.
I’m in my fourth year of business, and I have made over 400 different devices, with only one partially-chewed orthotic and three straps chewed that I know of. This is the extent of destruction from dogs known for their chewing habits. A pretty good record I would like to think, and it must say something for the comfort and support recognized by the dogs themselves.
I do think that my experience as a prosthetic user has given me some insight into the importance of comfort. If your prosthetic is not comfortable, you just can’t truly utilize it. It’s amazing how a simple 1-2 millimeter alteration can have such a dramatic change on the fit and function of a device.
I have been approached to work with many different animals, such as a moose (ankle orthotic), pig (deceased too soon), rabbit (wheelchair) and of course felines (wrist orthosis). Unfortunately, it is sometimes necessary to decline certain situations in order to stay focused on developing my business within the canine community. (But that’s not to say that in the future we won’t allow further expansions into other kinds of animals!)
It’s hard to pick out a favorite happy and sad client story from so many that I’ve been exposed to. I once had a patient who, at five weeks old, had its two back legs revoltingly amputated by people for their own amusement, and who is now living in a loving family and learning how to use one prosthetic leg and re-adjust. I have a client who survived Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, then went on to be adopted by a Canadian family who came to me for a prosthetic leg for their (now very happy) companion who is getting along nicely with it.
Entrepreneurship is extremely tough on its own, and as an entrepreneur with physical challenges who is navigating a completely new market and business simultaneously it’s even more challenging.
But when I receive calls from the owners of my clients, who are calling to share their profound and sincere appreciation for their dogs’ obviously-improved quality of life—because of a K-9 Orthotics & Prosthetic device—well, that simply reinforces the passion that we at K-9 Orthotics & Prosthetics feel about what we do.
Jeff Collins is the CEO of Nova Scotia-based K-9 Orthotics & Prosthetics Inc.
To learn more about Jeff’s amazing work, please visit http://k-9orthotics.com.
For information about obtaining an orthotic or prosthetic device for your dog, please email info@k-9orthotics.com or call (902) 865-5596.
