We Love Animals
Dogs Rescue Touching Stories

Shelter Pit Bull Won’t Stop Smiling After Being Rescued And Adopted By Loving Owners

Meet Meatball (Meaty for short), a pit bull mix who is now living his best life with his beloved family in California. He even becomes a famous star on Instagram with nearly 160k followers.

However, his life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Before having a forever loving home and all that internet fame, Meaty had to spend his days in a shelter in Central Valley.

Thankfully, a kind-hearted woman named Lisa Reilly rescued him and gave him a second chance in life.

She said that she first spotted him in a photo posted on Facebook by Fresno Bully Rescue, a no-kill shelter in California.

“Well, he looks like a bowling ball,” Reilly said. “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.”

Meaty melt Lisa’s heart and reminded her of her old dog, Kitty, who had passed away due to serious illness. For this reason, she decided to take him home and gave him the love and care he desperately needed.

“Fresno Bully Rescue did a great job nursing Meaty from the first time I saw him until I was able to bring him home,” Reilly told  The Dodo.

And since the day he was rescued from the shelter, he hasn’t stopped smiling. He quickly bonded with her other rescued pit bulls, Punky and Ricardo Tubbs, as well as dachshunds Bitty and Dappe.

“One benefit to having a fat dog is that he’s extremely treat motivated,” Reilly explains. “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.”

As you can see from the photos below, Meaty is so happy, and the wide grin on his face is all natural!

“He’s truly a mama’s boy, though, and just wants to be next to me all the time,” Reilly said. “It’s great to have though, as you really can’t have a bad day when he’s around. I’d dare anyone not to smile being near him.”

If you love Meaty and his friends, you can follow their Instagram to update their daily life and their adventures.

Love this story? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! Be sure to share this post with your friends and family members!

More info: Instagram (h/t: thedodomymodernmet)

Related posts

150-Pound Great Dane Is Obsessed With Tiny Kitten

Carolyn Mullet

20 Cute Puppies And Their “Huge Wolf” Look When Grown Up

Carolyn Mullet

10+ Hilarious And Crazy Photos Of Irish Wolfhounds That Show You How Large They Are

Carolyn Mullet

Boxer Dog Was Abandoned And Tied To A Lamppost, Kept Waiting With Sad Eyes

Carolyn Mullet

Teacher Lost Her 16-Year-Old Cat, So Her Students Surprised Her With 2 Rescue Kittens

Carolyn Mullet

This Funny And Smart Dog Always Thinks Of Herself As A Human Being

Olivia

Little Kitten Struggles To Survive After Being Bitten By Big Dog

Carolyn Mullet

Puppies Abandoned In Parking Lot Beg Rescuers To Take Them Home

Carolyn Mullet

20+ Pets That Have Something That Matches Their Owners

Carolyn Mullet

Dog Owners Get Creative After NYC Bans Dogs On The Subway Unless They Fit In Bags

Carolyn Mullet

Hero Husky Finds A Box Full Of Near-Dying Kittens In The Woods, Becomes Their New Mom

Carolyn Mullet

Cat Gets Her Mind Blown When Her Dog Friend Comes Home With A New Haircut

Carolyn Mullet