'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond's beloved basset hound Walter dead at 12

Ree Drummond, the author and TV host better known as The Pioneer Woman, is mourning the loss of a very special friend.

Drummond announced on Wednesday that her pet basset hound Walter had passed away at the age of 12.

“Goodbye, sweet wonderful Walter,” Drummond wrote on Facebook. “I’m going to bed early so I can turn off these tears and instead dream sweet memories of you, the most loving loyal pure-hearted doggie our family has ever known.”

“Go find your brother Charlie and have some fun, ol’ boy,” she added, a reference to another pet basset hound who passed away in 2017.

Drummond’s daughters also grieved the beloved dog: “The best, most loving and loyal dog there ever was. 😭 sweet sweet Walter, he’s howling at turtles with Charlie now 💔” daughter Paige wrote.

“Oh Walt. 😭 These pics melt my heart… Most loving dog to ever exist,” Alex commented.

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Drummond is the owner of many dogs, including three other basset hounds, a German shepherd and two labs, but Walter held a special place in her heart.

“Walter is the last remaining dog that reminds us of a time when the kids were little, and we make sure to show him how much we cherish him,” the author wrote in 2020. “He loves nothing more than being home, being loved on, and smelling like stale Fritos.”

Walter is “the sweetest, most earnest and precious little doggie there is,” she sad.

In another blog post, she wrote that Walter took some time to adjust to the family when he arrived in 2011. “When Walter first arrived at our homestead, he was skittish,” Drummond wrote.

“I think because he had suddenly moved to a totally different world—a different home, a different family, a different state—he was a little hesitant to jump in and really become a part of things here. However, he soon settled in and lived a sweet life as a ranch dog.

He was a familiar favorite among Drummond’s fans. He was often seen on the Pioneer Woman TV show and was the “unofficial greeter” at Drummond’s Lodge, happily greeting and posing for photos with fans.

According to Food Network, Walter was also often seen at Drummond’s restaurant The Mercantile and enjoyed getting “belly rubs and ear scratches” from fans.

Many fans commented on Drummond’s Facebook post with their own memories of Walter.

“Even just having known him from your show, I have a sense of what a lovely dog Walter was and what a big part of the family he was too,” one person commented.

Rest in peace, Walter — thank you for bringing so much joy to so many people’s lives. Rest easy over the rainbow bridge 🌈💔

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