Chihuahua with rare condition looks adorable in customized helmet created to protect him

Pets are not just tiny adorable balls of fur; they are also delicate beings vulnerable to various health conditions that pet parents need to address. While technology can achieve a lot, its purposeful use for good causes is crucial. One such case is Niblett, a chihuahua puppy born with hydrocephalus, also known as water on the brain. This condition made Niblett vulnerable to fatal injuries until the Humane Educational Society (HES), in collaboration with the College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), devised a creative solution to save the pup's life.

Niblett weighed 2.5 pounds and had a soft spot on his skull that had not fully fused due to his condition. "Even the most minor injury or bump to the noggin could be life-threatening for Niblett," the Human Educational Society wrote on Facebook. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Dr. Samantha Blair, the HES's Animal Protection Officer, contacted Dr. Bradley Harris, the director of the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science's Chemical Engineering program. Blair said, "When we realized that we were going to have to make a cap, I immediately thought of my experiences when I was doing the RET program at UTC," according to a press release by UTC.

After a few calls, a team was formed to craft a 3D-printed helmet for Niblett. With the help of Volkswagen's Justin Stephens, Elliot scanned Niblett's head for a 3D image. Then two members of the team took different approaches to create a headgear for Niblett. While the one looked like a football helmet, the other resembled a skull cap.

They then met Niblett to fit the headgear and he quickly chose the football helmet design. Mackey said, "It was honestly a very simple process of getting a scan and then modeling around that. It's really cool that you can save a dog's life using this kind of manufacturing process." The UTC posted details of the innovative project on Facebook and HES's director of animal protection services Caroline Smith praised everyone involved with helping Niblett. "Sometimes in this line of work, you don't always get happy endings, so it's so nice to see everyone come together to help out an animal," Smith said. The non-profit organization shared that Niblett is up for adoption and he is currently in foster care.

People in the comments applauded the efforts of HES and UTC to help the dog. Josh Wright commented, "Science and technology are so amazing! Thanks, HES and UTC! I'm so happy for Niblett." Andrea Chletsos-Schwalbach wrote, "Thanks to all that helped Lil Niblett. Here's to a strong and healthy life with his forever home! I am jealous of the people who get to adopt him. Please keep up with his story for us wherever he goes!" Kim Bowman expressed, "Well, how cool is that! Thank you to everyone who had a hand in helping Niblett." Lisa Brewer shared, "That's amazing! Thanks for doing that for that beautiful fur baby." Teresa Peters said, "Thank you all. Praying and wishing the best in the future for this precious little dog."