With a name like Meatball and a huge, happy smile, it’s hard to believe that this pit bull had a rough start in life but he did.
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Lisa Reilly was heartbroken over the loss of her pit bull, Kitty. One day while looking at dogs on the Internet, she spotted a dog named Meatball, who was listed on the Fresno Bully Rescue. The dog grabbed her attention because he reminded her of Kitty, who had passed a few months prior.
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Lisa decided to meet and adopt the beefy pit bull and was rewarded by his big goofy grin. She brought him home to her pack, where he fit right in with the couple’s other rescue dogs.
At first, Meatball was a little needy but that would be expected after spending his life at the rescue. “Fresno Bully Rescue did a great job nursing Meaty from the first time I saw him until I was able to bring him home,” Lisa Reilly shares her first encounter with Meaty with The Dodo.
Once Meatball was settled, his true personality started to shine. He was never without his big grin. He loved his new family, including his new brothers and sisters, two other Pitbull rescues, Punky and Ricardo Tubbs, as well as Dachshunds Dappe and Bitty.
Meatball turned out to be quite the celebrity and loved the camera. He soon had over 40k followers on Instagram. They all loved to see his smiling face and how cute he looked in his funny clothes and hats.
He was nicknamed Meaty because he was so short and wide. “Well, he looks like a bowling ball,” Lisa happily shares. “It’s hard to really tell just how short he is in person, but he’s so low to the ground and wide like a Mack Truck. And he would just barrel into you like a bowling ball of dog fat when we first got him. Thus, he became known as ‘The Meatball,’ Meaty for short.”
When Lisa’s husband would take him to work with him at the Police Department, they call him McMeat the Crime Fighting Dog. He loves people and having fun and everyone loves him, too. His mom said:
“One benefit to having a fat dog is that he’s extremely treat motivated,” Lisa shares. “He’s also extremely toy motivated and loves to play. So he’s willing to ‘work’ for any toy or treat, which makes taking pictures of him so easy.”
Sadly, Meaty passed away but he leaves behind a legacy of love and lots of happiness. His smiles certainly won’t be forgotten. Please share his sweet face with your family and friends.
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