Man spends $400 at vet to treat his limping dog only to realize that he was simply copying him

Editor's note: This article was originally published on October 5, 2022. It has since been updated 

People with pets know that sometimes animals will do absolutely absurd things out of their love for you. Billy, an adorable dog from London, proves this point. Russell Jones, Billy's owner, had a plaster cast on after an injury. He shared that he observed his dog limping and thought something was wrong with him. Worried, he took the dog to get him checked out by a vet and also run a couple of tests as well. After spending close to $400 on X-rays and vet bills, the owner learned that his dog was in fact in perfect health. He was only copying him! Jones posted a touching yet humorous video of his dog mirroring his behavior while walking beside him on Facebook in January 2021. In the short video, Jones, whose leg was in a plaster cast, is seen walking the street with his dog Billy. The lurcher is observed imitating his owner's limp by walking with one paw elevated above the ground. “Cost me £300 in vet fees and X-rays, nothing wrong, just sympathy. Love him,” Russell shared in the post's caption.

While Billy’s fake limp might have cost the family quite a lot in vet fees, the dog’s Oscar-worthy performance still cracks them up. The post got more than 42,000 likes and 58,000 shares, with many viewers commenting on their thoughts on dogs and their loyalty. Holly Marie Clarke commented that her dad has a similar relationship with their dog. "My dad walks with a limp cos of ALS and I noticed my staffy girl pulls on her lead out of excitement but when my dad walks her, she matches his speed exactly and watches him closely as we walk she doesn't pull him at all dogs are so loyal." User Sammy Cassiopeia commented, "My uncle got a bad constant cough, and his dog started coughing all the time too. So they took the dog to the vet they said he's perfectly fine and just copying him. Lol"

In February this year, Billy had to get his dew claw out. He had a limp from the procedure and Russell posted an adorable video with the tables turned, captioning it, "What goes around comes around Bill xx Had to have his dew claw out"

Unfortunately, in March this year, Billy died after a struggle with lung cancer. Russell posted the update on Facebook, with a message highlighting how much he loved the dog. "Hi everyone, wanted to tell you on here that my Billy ran over the 🌈 today. He’s had lung cancer and was time to say goodbye. I wanted to tell you on here because this is where our 5 mins of fame began. Love you Billy and you’ll never be forgotten, heartbroken 💔 xx" Many Facebook users expressed their grief at the news, after all, Russell had become a star. "Really sorry to hear that. He was a little star and obviously bonded really closely with you," a user wrote.

However, Russell says his journey with Billy is not yet over. A few months ago in July, Russell received a call informing them that Billy has won the PEOPLE's Pet Award. Russell posted the update, informing everyone on the page that Billy's memory lives on. "Just to let you all know that my journey with Bill is still not over. Got a call on Friday to tell me that he’s won the PEOPLE's pet awards. I’d just like to thank this page and everyone’s support in this amazing experience and since Bill has sadly got his wings and gone over the rainbow he’s memory will live on Thank you all Russ"