After losing his 21-year-old dachshund just days before Christmas in 2014, Tony Hayden had a void that wasn’t going to be easy to fill. But Hayden knew that he wanted to have another dachshund. An exhaustive internet search lead him to a dog that was like no other dog. The puppy, Meatball, was considered defective by the breeder.

Meatball had a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, a neurological condition. Meatball would need a very special person to care for him.

Cerebellar hypoplasia, as Hayden soon learned, meant that Meatball’s cerebellum was underdeveloped.

The cerebellum is the part of the brain that helps control coordination and movement, dogs or cats with this condition often have jerky movements, tremors, or uncoordinated motion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM1d2ERgSNk/?taken-by=herecomesmeatball

Meatball has some trouble walking because his movements are rather awkward. Hayden and Meatball did physical therapy for the next four to six months.

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