PawPrint Auburn University Organization is an official university club that 3D prints orthotics and braces for dogs in need. The organization meets on Mondays or Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in ACLC to collaborate with fellow dog-lovers within the club and partner with local animal shelters.
The co-founders are three juniors: biomedical sciences major Sajel Amin, industrial systems engineering major Michelle Kim and fine arts major Rain Park.
“We’re actually all high school friends who used to be in a club called Tails of Hope,” Park said.
Tails of Hope was a way to create toys for dogs. This year, they founded PawPrint to help dogs in need in a different way.
Kim and Amin wanted the club to incorporate Kim’s engineering focus. With this in mind, the idea of 3D printing prosthetics came naturally, so the friends decided to utilize the Brown-Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center’s 3D printing lab.
The printing lab contains 3D modeling software available to engineering students. Through this university resource, PawPrint members get to turn technical skills into tangible impact by gaining real-world experience creating prototypes and devices that make a difference for injured dogs.
“Our first client is one of our club members’ dogs who got hit by a car and has a weakened leg,” Amin said. “We’re trying to make a brace for him currently.”
This project not only gives engineering students practical experience but also reminds them why they joined the club — to use their skills to make a difference for animals in need.
“Regardless of major, it’s a club that everyone is encouraged to join,” Kim said.
The members' diverse majors are shown in the way PawPrint is organized. The club has three committees: the 3D printing committee for designing and printing, the dog interaction committee for measuring the dogs’ limbs and the social committee for fundraising. Students of all backgrounds and majors can join together to give injured dogs the healing they need.
Co-founders Amin and Park themselves are not engineering students, but Park often exercises his fine arts knowledge as the graphic designer for PawPrint. He designed the PawPrint logo, as well as sticker designs.
The stickers are used to raise money for the club’s 3D printing equipment. PawPrint’s first social event will be a sticker fair at the end of the fall semester. Students can purchase stickers to fund the cause.
“We plan on collabing with artists to create more sticker designs. We’ll give shoutouts to artists but also give awareness to the club,” Park said.
The club’s creativity is not limited to graphic design, as the members also help with service projects that strengthen PawPrint’s connection to the community.
One of PawPrint’s main focuses is community outreach. According to the organization’s constitution, the club plans and facilitates fundraisers with the local community to raise funds for animal shelters to purchase any needed supplies. Members also collaborate with other organizations to raise funds for charities and materials needed to make orthotics.
Whether it is art, design or outreach, every talent can contribute to PawPrint’s mission of helping dogs in need.
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Betsy Nearn, junior majoring in public relations, is from Memphis, Tennessee. She has been with The Auburn Plainsman since the fall of 2025.
