For the first two years of his life, Hector the dog has spent most of it stuck inside. The puppy couldn't play outside, where he might get a scrape or an infection on his crippled legs.
When owner Lisa Korol adopted Hector, she was told his mother, a stray dog, had given birth to him in sub-zero temperatures.
"His tail and his feet were already frozen to the ground, and so they stuck and she tore them off," Ms Korol said.
When Ms Korol shared Hector's story, the community rallied and people started raising money to buy him prosthetic legs. The legs cost nearly $AUD5000.
"It's been overwhelming, having the community get involved," Justine Hetherington from the Lakewood Animal Hospital said.
"People made donations for a silent auction; people buying tickets for the supper; even just making donations, period."
Their wishes were granted; Hector's new legs arrived four days ago. Now Ms Korol says she can barely keep up with Hector.
"He's like any othe dog now: he runs, he plays."
"And he loves the snow. For somebody who had his feet frozen, if there's snowbanks, he's in them if he's got his legs on."
