A pit bull terrier stole the hearts of–literally–millions online for his aversion to working out. The dog, named “Petri,” went viral for his sass and stubbornness.
Petri, who has multi-joint osteoarthritis, was filmed during rehabilitation therapy on an underwater treadmill at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Instead of buckling down to work, the stubborn pit bull squeezes himself up against the side of the tank, only using his back legs on the treadmill. A few seconds later, Petri takes his back legs off the treadmill too and slowly moves one paw up and down, despite the cajoling of therapist Kim Knap.
The video struck a chord with exercise-averse viewers. Over 43,000 comments and reactions have amassed since it was posted to the hospital’s Facebook page last December. The video has been viewed over 5.8 million times.
From Patient to Pet
Petri first came to the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014, as part of a program where veterinary students learn surgery skills by spaying and neutering shelter animals. This is where he met his owner-to-be, a third-year veterinary student on the team that performed his surgery. The current Dr. Catherine Foreman-Hesterberg assisted in caring for Petri pre- and post-surgery.
“I just fell in love with his big, dopey Pittie face,” she said.
While she was taking care of him, Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg discovered Petri was rescued on her birthday. Even though she already wanted to adopt, she said, “When I found that out, I was sold.”
Petri went home with Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg on October 4, 2014. Except for a couple years when Petri stayed with his “grandparents” while Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg pursued internships, the two have been inseparable ever since.
Now, Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg works as the director of Midwest Equine at Illinois, an equine-only practice run by the College Veterinary Medicine. Petri has been coming to the veterinary hospital regularly for therapy with rehabilitation specialist Kim Knap since October 2022, when his veterinarian noticed signs of arthritis.
The Infamous Therapy Session
Knap filmed the viral video of Petri on the treadmill. It was taken during Petri’s first therapy session when Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg was home on maternity leave, Knap said.
“I shot the video as a ‘someone else wanted to stay home with you and the babies’ sort of funny,” she said.
Knap said she is a “dear friend” of Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg and will often send videos to clients of their pets during sessions.
“Of course, [Petri] would have preferred to be home with his family, so he was just a little out of sorts and out of practice. As soon as I shot the little video for fun, Petri went to work and did a great job,” she continued, “He is a sweet and obedient little man.”
Knap said the pup is a favorite of the students and staff at the veterinary hospital. When Petri arrives to his sessions, the staff can hear him coming down the hall “excited” for therapy.
“He is great for letting students look at him and loves extra attention,” she said.
Petri has had some health issues since his adoption. Besides his multi-joint osteoarthritis, he had an emergency splenectomy in February 2022. After becoming extremely lethargic, Petri was taken to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s emergency room.
Luckily, it was a benign hemangioma, and his recovery was “quick and uneventful.”
Petri the Family Man
“He has slowed down as he has gotten older due to multi-joint osteoarthritis, but he is still as happy as ever to go to the farm, go on long walks, or play ball,” said Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg.
While Petri may cheat on the treadmill from time to time, Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg said he is an ambassador for the pit bull terrier breed. He may have loud barks at times, but ultimately, he has a “kind, gentle disposition” and is a “total scaredy cat.”
Since 2017, Foreman-Hesterberg has had two daughters with her husband, Cullen. Petri has taught her daughters how to be “comfortable, confident and safe” around dogs, she said.
“Petri has been the best companion, truck dog, farm dog, and big brother to our girls we could ever ask for.”
By Megan Krok
