A married couple in the UK became suspicious of their dog Billy when, one day, he seemed to develop a limp in his front paw.
What made Russell and Michelle Jones, from London, even more suspect was that it happened right after Russell had broken his own ankle coming down from a ledge.
Billy’s limping became a spectacle when he was later video-recorded limping beside his owner, who is seen using crutches, wearing a plaster cast, as they made their way down a sidewalk.
That odd and adorable video was posted on Facebook where it went viral.
The Facebook posts spread like wildfire, garnering tens of thousands of reactions from Facebook users.
Becoming concerned that there might be something wrong with Billy’s leg, the owners had taken him to the vet. But after X-rays and examinations, and a hefty 300-pound (approx. US$400) bill, they found there was nothing wrong with Billy.
Russell speculated his dog was empathizing with his injured owner by sharing some of his injury on his behalf.
In his Facebook post, he captioned, “Cost me £300 in vet fees and X-rays, nothing wrong just sympathy. Love him ❤️”
That viral post eventually attracted the attention from the producers of ITV, and the couple, along with Billy, found themselves on network TV.
When Russell’s ankle later healed, Billy’s limp also went away mysteriously.
Whether an act of love and sympathy, or just copying, Billy limping was an uplifting sight for his injured owner—and certainly for everyone else!
