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.
Like Mateo, Mojo and Rana had traumatic beginnings as well, and they grew close to their new brother right away.
From the beginning, Pinscht said that “they [had] been] one heart and soul.” The three are still together and look out for one another.
On top of looking out for one another, the three dogs also like to teach each other new skills and tricks.
Mojo, for example, helped Mateo learn how to walk comfortably on his first prosthetic leg.
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 they’re not adventuring in Germany, Mateo, Mojo and Rana like to travel all over Europe together with their mom.
“[Whether we’re in] France, London, Italy or Portugal, the dogs are always with us,” Pinscht said. “They love to discover new places.”
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.
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