‘Pioneer Woman’ Ree Drummond Mourns Death of Her Dog Walter in Emotional Tribute

Ree Drummond is mourning the loss of her family’s beloved basset hound, Walter. The Food Network star, 54, took to social media on Wednesday to share that the “most loving” and “loyal” dog had passed away. Sharing photos from throughout Walter’s life living on Drummond’s Oklahoma ranch, which she shares with her husband Ladd, Ree praised her late canine companion. 

“Goodbye, sweet wonderful Walter,” the Pioneer Woman star began. “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.” Ree’s daughters, Paige and Alex, left loving comments showing just how much they would also miss their sweet Walter.

“The best, most loving and loyal dog there ever was,” 23-year-old Paige wrote alongside a crying emoji. “sweet sweet Walter, he’s howling at turtles with Charlie now [broken heart].” Alex, 26, added with another crying emoji, “Oh Walt. These pics melt my heart. Most loving dog to ever exist.” Walter was one of the Drummond family’s four basset hounds and seven dogs, as the family also has two labs and one German shepherd. Charlie, one of the Drummonds’ basset hounds who even starred in a series of books by Ree, died of lymphoma in 2017.

Walter joined the family in 2011, and took a moment to settle in on the ranch, Ree wrote on her blog at the time. “When Walter first arrived at our homestead, he was skittish,” she revealed at the time. “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. During his first week on the ranch, he kept his distance, napping by himself on the other side of our yard (away from the rest of the dogs) and coming near us human types only when it was time to eat.” She added, “I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this wee Basset tyke,” sharing also that the little pup eventually felt comfortable enough to show off his sweet personality freely. “I think Walter’s going to get along just fine here,” she wrote. “We just love him.”