Deepshikha Sharma, an innovative young engineer from India, is transforming the landscape of animal healthcare with her project FurFit. This revolutionary initiative combines engineering with animal welfare to provide affordable, high-quality prosthetics and health monitoring devices for dogs. Inspired by her mother’s work in animal rescue and motivated by a personal loss, Sharma aims to bridge the significant gap in animal healthcare across India.
The Birth of FurFit: A Personal Journey
FurFit was born from Sharma’s deep empathy for animals and her background in engineering. Her mother’s selfless work with stray dogs highlighted the lack of affordable medical devices for animals. The turning point came when Sharma lost her own dog, Pepper, to cardiac arrest, which made her realise how difficult it is to detect health problems in animals until it’s too late.
“I wanted to create something that could help shelters and NGOs provide better care for animals in need,” says Sharma, who combined her technical expertise with her passion for animal welfare to create the FurFit prosthetic.
Innovative Design for Canine Prosthetics
The core of the FurFit project is its spring-integrated, two-link prosthetic design. Unlike traditional rigid prosthetics, FurFit mimics the natural movement of a dog’s limb, offering a more comfortable and energy-efficient gait. Sharma used CAD modelling to develop a prosthetic that includes stainless-steel tension springs to store and release energy as the dog walks. At just Rs 10,000, this prosthetic offers a cost-effective solution compared to others on the market, which can cost up to Rs 35,000.
Revolutionising Canine Healthcare with Sensor Technology
In addition to prosthetics, Sharma introduced the FurFit sensor collar. This lightweight device tracks vital signs such as heart rate, oxygen levels, and body temperature, providing real-time health data to pet owners and veterinarians. The collar detects early signs of health issues, allowing for prompt medical intervention—a critical feature for shelter dogs that often receive late diagnoses.
A dog with FurFit.
Impact on Shelters and Future Plans
FurFit’s reach has already extended to over 500 dogs, significantly improving the efficiency of shelters and NGOs in monitoring animal health. Sharma aims to scale the project across India by collaborating with more NGOs and veterinarians. However, securing funding and training volunteers are key challenges she faces in this expansion.
Looking Ahead
Sharma’s future plans include securing a provisional patent and publishing her research in reputed journals, further solidifying the credibility of FurFit. For young innovators aspiring to make a social impact, Sharma’s advice is simple: “Start with empathy, remain persistent, and be open to feedback.”
Through FurFit, Deepshikha Sharma is demonstrating the power of empathy-driven innovation in transforming animal healthcare, making it accessible and impactful across India.
