General Patton was an avid animal lover. The most famous bull terrier owned by General Patton was purchased on 4 March, 1944. He was named Willie, short for "William the Conqueror." Willie was devoted to General Patton and followed him everywhere.

When General Patton bought Willie, he wrote in his diary, "My bull pup . . . took to me like a duck to water. He is 15 months old, pure white except for a little lemin [sic] on his tail which to a cursory glance would seem to indicate that he had not used toilet paper. . ." Willie wore jingle bells on his collar so everyone would know when he was around and he was rumored to be a prodigious "lover." He supposedly had his own set of "dog tags," too.