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Alaska man donates amputated leg to search and rescue dogs

Fetch just got real.

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If one needs to amputate a leg, where does it go? The trash? The morgue? Do you lacquer it and turn it into a macabre Christmas Story-style lamp?

If you’re Donald Jacobs, a 65-year-old Vietnam vet from Valdez, AK, you donate it to Alaska’s canine search and rescue. The paraplegic and SAR supporter decided to amputate the leg on doctor’s recommendations after a persistent sore failed to heal. The leg will be frozen and different parts of it will be partitioned and used for wilderness training over the next several years.

Officials hope Jacobs’ donation inspires other amputees to support search and rescue operations. Without access to materials, SAR crews typically donate their own hair, blood, and even placentas to train canine rescue squads. Are any potential amputees out there listening? You can be a hero, too. It’ll only cost you an arm or a leg.

Source: Alaska Dispatch

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