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Giraffe wears shoe at Sacramento Zoo for arthritis

A giraffe named Goody at the Sacramento Zoo wears a shoe to help with her arthritis.

A giraffe named Goody at the Sacramento Zoo wears a shoe to help with her arthritis.

"I wondered what was wrong so first I thought about it and then I just don't know how to explain it," said Duke Simpson, a visitor.

Goody was born with a defect and later developed arthritis in her front legs.

"She spent more time laying in bed," says Melissa Mccartney, the lead hoofstock keeper. "Skye (Goody's sister) was a little distressed and she didn't like being separated from her sister."

The zoo started to do some research to help Goody and found a company that makes boots for horses. However it was an Amish company which presented its own set of challenges.

"There's a little bit of lag time," Mccartney said. "There's not a lot of technology involved. It's a little old school, but it works out really well for her."

Goody is now more social with her new shoe and is hanging out with her sister Skye more often, but Skye is also a little bit jealous of the extra attention her sister is getting.

The zoo is also working on a data tracker kind of like a FitBit to track Goody's movement while wearing her shoe.

Goody's shoes also have extra support for when she's out exploring. She also goes through acupuncture and laser therapy.

Goody's treatments are paid for mostly through help from the community and donations.

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