Homie The American Staffy Is Everyone’s Best Friend

Homie, the American Staffy is one of the friendliest dogs in the seaside town of La Cala de Mijas in southern Spain. He spends his days sitting next to his gate, dropping a tennis ball for passersby to throw for him. However, he almost had a horribly tragic life in a dogfighting ring, but thankfully was rescued. Read on to find out more about El Perro de la Pelota (the dog of the ball) in La Cala on the Costa del Sol in Spain.

Homie, the dog with the ball

In days gone by, La Cala de Mijas was just a blip on the radar on the coastal highway between Malaga and Marbella on the Costa del Sol. However, this pretty town became popular and is now a coastal destination of note.

Not only are the streets in the old town lined with beautiful plants, but the town also has a beautiful Blue Flag beach. This pristine sand starts in the cove and lines the famous Boardwalk, almost to Marbella. Meanwhile, it is a perfect choice for foodies, with its excellent array of restaurants, “chiringuitos” (beach bars) and tapas bars.

Recently, the town also became popular with dog lovers, after an American Staffy started interacting with locals and tourists alike. Given the moniker Homie, this beautiful and loving dog lives on a property in Calle Torremolinos. Anyone heading down the street to the beach knows this lovely mutt.

The clever American Staffy loves to chase after a ball. In fact, he sits next to his gate every day, sticking his head through a gap in the fence and gently dropping a tennis ball on the steps. He then waits for passersby to throw the ball for him.

The variety of people who stop and throw the ball for Homie is astounding, including elderly fishermen, other locals of all ages, and, of course, fascinated visitors from all over Europe. In fact, he has become so popular that he even has his own Instagram page!

However, as can be seen from the video below, Homie occasionally takes his time to drop the ball! If you are not careful, he will keep you there all day, throwing the ball, over and over again.

Homie rescued from dogfighting

Dogs and Barks decided to find out more about Homie and contacted his dad, Jonathan Benitez. It turns out the almost six-year-old American Staffy almost had a horrific life.

Jonathan explained that he met Homie in the town of Villaviciosa de Odón in the Sierra de Madrid. At that time, the pup was two-and-a-half months old and Benitez managed to rescue him from his father’s owner, who organized dog fights.

That wasn’t all, in an effort to save Homie’s family and friends, Jonathan reported the dogfighting to the local animal protector and the Civil Guard. Hopefully, any other dogs in the owner’s “care” were saved from this illegal and horrific form of “entertainment.”

Meanwhile, Benitez has since also rescued two other dogs, a chocolate Labrador and a yellow Labrador-cross. They often accompany their famous brother at the gate hoping for a pat or two.

On the rare occasion when Homie has no available tennis ball, he asks you to throw his toy bone instead.

Whenever you are in town, make a point of heading down Calle Torremolinos (opposite the vet) to make friends with this adorable and totally cool American Staffy.