Doctors at N.C. State's College of Veterinary Medicine have given a dog the ability to run again. In doing so, they've taken a big step in advancing technology that might change the future of artificial limbs.

Since getting an implanted prostheses in his leg last July, 6-year-old Cassidy and his owners have been back to the Vet school several times to make sure the implant was fusing with the bone, making it stable enough to support what would eventually become Cassidy's right hind leg. Tuesday, doctors fitted Cassidy with a titanium leg complete with a running foot that will replace a temporary peg leg Cassidy has been wearing.

Steve Posovsky, Cassidy's owner, said the dog's artificial leg has gotten a lot of attention. Cassidy has even been featured in the Posovsky's hometown paper.

"You can't even walk down the street," he said. "People take pictures of him, you get stopped constantly. [People ask] what is this, how did it happen? I've never seen it before. Can I take a picture with him? It's non-stop."

Posovsky said he always credits the Vet School and Drs. Denis Marcellin-Little and Ola Harrysson for his dog's miraculous comeback. Just a year ago, Cassidy was struggling to keep up on family walks.

"Five, ten minutes, then he'd plop down on the ground to rest," said Posovsky. "Now, he can walk for hours."

Doctors say the new titanium prosthesis and its padded "foot," is designed to be more lifelike than typical artificial limbs, allowing Cassidy's leg to bend naturally. A carbon fuse inside the prosthesis allows for rotation of the leg and guards against undue stress on the implant. After a few trips down the hall at the Veterinary Hospital, Cassidy's gait was almost normal, which pleased doctors.

Harrysson said the technology is moving in the right direction for eventual use in humans but cautioned that it will take several years and more animal models like Cassidy to get it right.