This post was updated May 19 8:53 p.m.
The life of a Division I athlete is consistently tiresome – from going to practice, competing and doing schoolwork.
To add a pet into the mix is even more of a responsibility.
But Jack O’Connor was about to experience what some would say is the greatest form of companionship.
A man’s best friend.
The senior right-hander adopted Petey, a black flat-coated retriever, back in November from Bark n’ Bitches Dog Rescue. O’Connor and his roommates had previously fostered a puppy before the start of the 2025-26 school year because they were bored, he said, but once she was adopted, O’Connor was sad to see her leave.
When the rescue reached out with another opportunity he did not want to go through that same feeling again. So he adopted another puppy, who is now named Petey.
Both of their lives were changed forever.
Petey was immediately welcomed with open arms and love by those in O’Connor’s life, including the UCLA baseball team and his family, he said. The Palos Verdes, California, local never had a dog growing up.
“It’s actually awesome,” O’Connor said. “It’s pretty unbelievable how much he’s changed my life in an emotional way. It’s pretty much impossible to go home after a long practice or a bad game, and then he greets you at the door, all excited to see you.”
And those feelings have extended to the No. 1-ranked baseball team in the nation, which has blocked out all the outside noise and exceeded expectations throughout the year.
The Bruins became just the first team in college baseball history to go wire-to-wire, remaining as the Baseball America and D1 Baseball top-ranked squad for the entire regular season.
Petey has brought the team even closer together throughout the season, and Shannon von Roemer, the founder of Bark n’ Bitches Dog Rescue, made this possible.
Von Roemer founded Los Angeles’s first humane pet shop in 2006 and now operates it as a foster-based rescue, giving dogs a temporary safe home as they wait for adoption.
A large number of abandoned dogs, along with an antiquated shelter system, have overwhelmed the LA area, Von Roemer said. The rescue’s mission is to help homeless dogs by finding them permanent homes that meet their needs.
Petey is an example of what happens when a dog is given the opportunity to thrive, Von Roemer said.
“People talk about it all the time that adopted dogs know that they have been saved, and they just have a different vibe,” Von Roemer said. “They’re grateful. I really do think that we completely underestimate the depth of dogs’ emotions and really what they experience, so when they are rescued and given a beautiful home and a beautiful life, they super appreciate it.”
And Petey has clearly demonstrated his appreciation for his new family, as he is always running around with his tail wagging. Von Roemer said Petey’s success has exceeded her expectations.
O’Connor said he has witnessed firsthand Petey cherish the freedom his forever home has given him.
“Seeing him off-leash running around in a total freedom setting is awesome,” O’Connor said. “As soon as he’s off-leash, he starts prancing around and gets super excited. Our nights at the field, after practice, he’s been in the apartment for three or four hours, so I take him out and get him to run around on the field, which is another open area where he has all the space in the world that he could wish for. … When he realizes that he’s got total freedom, it makes me pretty happy. And you can see on his face too, he knows that he can do whatever he wants, and it’s a super good feeling.”
However, Petey, known as the unofficial 41st man, does not just have O’Connor as a constant companion – he also has 39 other best friends.
The Bruins have consistently surrounded themselves with Petey off the field. The team has helped raise Petey, who, in turn, has offered love and support for the Westwood squad, O’Connor said. He added that Petey provides a mental paradise for the team, giving them a break from the 54-game regular season slate.
“He is great,” said junior third baseman Roman Martin. “He’s really cute, obviously, but it’s good for the team. It’s another way to bring the team together. We all feel like we’re his dads, in a way. It’s cool and he brings the team a little bit closer together.”
The team has also helped support O’Connor throughout the season.
O’Connor’s teammates have gone on various outings with Petey, which have been featured on Instagram, where Petey is known as @peter_the._.retriever. His account has amassed more than 5,000 followers in less than five months.
In a series titled “Petey’s Bruin Adventures,” members of the baseball team or other UCLA athletic squads – including softball, beach volleyball and men’s water polo – take Petey out, spending a full day with the retriever.
“It (Petey’s Instagram account) wasn’t supposed to really blow up, but I never thought it’d have this much of a following,” O’Connor said. “It was really for him and me to look back on in a couple (of) years. It was like, ‘How much fun can we have, and let’s get it on film.’ It was also more of an ‘I don’t care what other people think about it.’ It’s a public page. There’s more for me to be like ‘I’m gonna post this without caring what other people think.’ I was trying to get out there more, because I’m not the most outgoing person – it benefits us both. It’s cool to see the following that I’ve gotten.”
Petey has attended multiple games at Jackie Robinson Stadium throughout the season, where he socializes with young fans on the concourse.
The energy he has provided throughout the year has added to an already historic season and built on the Bruins’ deep bond, O’Connor said.
And regardless of what happens in the postseason, they will still have their fluffy best friend waiting for them.
“It’s hard to continue to play sad or have a bad day when he’s right there just ready to play and showing you a bunch of love,” O’Connor said.
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