Tony Hayden has always been a fan of dachshunds and his pet lived by his side for 21 years. After the pup died before Christmas in 2014, Tony knew he would need another dog of the same breed to look after and have as his best friend. Luckily, he found the perfect match - a dachshund puppy that needed extra special care, as he was born with a condition called cerebral hypoplasia, reports The Dodo.
Source: Here comes Meatball
Meatball's breeder considered him defective and a liability, so Tony gladly took him in, determined to give this puppy all the love he would need. In his Instagram bio, the description says:
I was a slightly underdeveloped angel who had a little difficulty flapping my wings due to cerebral hypoplasia.
Source: Here comes Meatball
The puppy had an underdeveloped part of the brain that is responsible for movement, so walking was difficult for him. Tony said:
For the next four to six months, I did physical therapy exercises with him and had him scheduled with twice-a-week acupuncture to stimulate blood flow.
Source: Here comes Meatball
After only eight months, Meatball had nothing more than a slight limp in his walking. Things have kept on improving with time and today, at two years old, the pup can run.
A video posted by Here comes MEATBALL! (@herecomesmeatball) on Oct 18, 2016 at 3:26am PDT
He is also a celebrity with more than 100 000 followers on his Instagram account.
Source: Here comes Meatball
Meatball proves that not only does dynamite come in small packages, but also that any obstacle is possible to overcome with enough support and love.
Source: Here comes Meatball
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