Unwanted runt to show champion: Meet Lion King, the 219-pound American Bully

TOLLHOUSE, Calif. (FOX26) — FOX 26 News wants you to meet a massive 3-year-old American Bully who was the runt of the litter that no one wanted.

Now the dog is a show favorite who tips the scales at more than 200 pounds.

It's a winding road above Tollhouse in eastern Fresno County that leads to the home of the Lion King.

The American Bully likes to stretch his legs on the mountain property. His owner Tuan Tran has been breeding dogs for 25 years.

"I want to create a dog that nobody has ever had before. Nobody ever see before. You seen another Bully like this before?" Tran said.

Now Lion King seems to be a show favorite with lots of trophies — all first place. At birth, he wasn't exactly the pick of the litter.

"He was the smallest one in the litter and nobody wanted him," Tran said.

Tran showed us a picture of the Lion King at just five weeks. Now the dog weighs 219 pounds. At first glance, it appears to be ferocious, but that's not the case.

"Once inside the show, every little kid in the show ran up to him. They hug him and just scream his name and he just lay down and play with them," Tran said.

People from near and far are willing to travel to Tollhouse to visit with the Lion King.

"Oh, he loves visitors. He loves visitors. At least 3-4-5 visitors from other countries come every week," Tran said.

The American Bully likes to gnaw on his bone to pass the time. His owner says he enjoys red meat but for now, his favorite meal is a bowl of apples.