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Meet Mateo, a charming rescue dog who enjoys sharing his knowledge of animal prostheses with the world one assured walk at a time.
At less than a month old, Mateo was discovered by villagers in Greece by the side of a road. He was missing a paw and was sleeping on top of some trash with his sister.
When Mateo’s missing paw was first discovered, his rescuers assumed it might be a congenital defect; however, they soon discovered from the wounds on his leg that it had been severed.
Rescuers sent Mateo from Greece to a skilled foster home in Germany so that he could receive the best medical care for his leg. Veronica Pinscht saw him there for the first time.
Pinscht knew it would be tough to adopt a special needs dog, especially since she already had two dogs at home, but she didn’t let that stop her.
According to Pinscht, she fell in love with him right away. “To me, [the struggle] was worthwhile.”
Mateo’s new siblings, Mojo and Rana, were introduced to him by Pinscht when she took him home.
Like Mateo, Mojo and Rana had traumatic beginnings as well, and they grew close to their new brother right away.
From the beginning, Pinscht claimed that “they [had] been] one heart and soul.” The three are still together and look out for one another.
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 quickly 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.
Pinscht quickly showed Mojo how to take Mateo’s leash in his teeth and walk alongside him.
Mojo enjoyed this a lot because he was included in the training, according to Pinscht. Mateo also received his tiny big brother’s backing.
Additionally, Pinscht was able to record Mateo moving forward while he was walking, enabling her to monitor his advancement over time.
Since Mateo first started wearing a prosthetic, Mojo and Mateo have taken innumerable walks similar to this one. Additionally, Mojo always embraces his sibling after a walk.
One can be seen here:
When not having an adventure in Germany, Mateo, Mojo, and Rana enjoy taking their mother on trips across Europe.
The dogs are constantly with us, whether we’re in France, London, Italy, or Portugal, according to Pinscht. “They enjoy traveling to new areas.”
However, there are several reasons for their overseas trip. The family actively teaches about and normalizes animal prosthetics while traveling to new 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 that rescue dogs rock!”
