Meet Mateo, a charming rescue dog who enjoys sharing his knowledge of animal prostheses with the world one assured stride at a time.
At less than a month old, Mateo was discovered by villagers in Greece on the side of a road. He was missing a paw and was sleeping on top of some rubbish with his sister.
At first, Mateo’s rescuers thought that his missing paw could be a birth defect, but they quickly realized by the scars on his leg that it had been amputated.
To get the best medical attention for his leg, rescuers transported Mateo from Greece to an experienced foster home in Germany. That’s where Veronica Pinscht first laid eyes on him.
Although she knew that adopting a special needs dog would be difficult, especially since she already had two dogs at home, Pinscht didn’t let it affect her decision.
“I was in love with him right from the start,” Pinscht told The Dodo. “[The challenge] was worth it to me.”
Pinscht brought Mateo home with her and introduced him to his new siblings — Mojo and Rana.
Mojo and Rana also came from tragic beginnings, just like Mateo, and they bonded with their new brother instantly.
“They [have been] one heart and soul from day one,” Pinscht said. “[As of] today, the three are inseparable and protect each other.”
The three canines enjoy teaching one another new abilities and tricks in addition to watching out for one another.
For instance, Mojo assisted Mateo in developing a comfortable gait with his first prosthetic limb.
When Mateo was 6 months old, he first put on a prosthetic limb. Pinscht soon understood that walking Mateo on a leash was the most effective method to educate him how to properly use his new limb.
As Pinscht put it, “This kept him focused.”
Mojo, who was always there for his siblings, insisted on going with Mateo on his first day of prosthetic training and every day after that. Pinscht made the decision to make Mojo’s training enjoyable as well.
Over a short period of time, Pinscht taught Mojo how to grab Mateo’s leash with his mouth and walk with him.
“This was a lot of fun for Mojo because he was integrated in the training,” Pinscht said. “And Mateo had support from his little big brother.”
This also allowed Pinscht to film Mateo walking from the front, which helped her track his progress over time.
Mojo and Mateo have gone on countless walks like this since Mateo first started wearing prosthetics. And after every walk, Mojo gives his brother a supportive hug.
You can watch one here:
@verpinscht Mojo loves to take care of his handicapped brother during our walk. wait for then hugging ❤️ #fy #fürdich #siblings #minpin #schäferhund #shepherd ♬ Surrender – Natalie Taylor
When not having an adventure in Germany, Mateo, Mojo, and Rana enjoy taking their mother on trips around Europe.
The dogs are constantly with us, whether we’re in France, London, Italy, or Portugal, according to Pinscht. “They like traveling to new areas.”
However, there are other reasons for their overseas trip. The family regularly teaches about and normalizes animal prostheses when traveling to different locations.
It’s good to demonstrate to the public that a dog like Mateo enjoys life and that animals can wear prostheses, too, Pinscht said. And rescue dogs are awesome!
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