Did Walter the Dog Die? Details on if the Death Rumors Are True

May 2024 · 4 minute read

Did Walter the Dog die? You most probably know the puppy's face from the infamous staring / front digital camera meme, and he's the newest subject of death stories.

Shannon Raphael - Author

You may not think that you already know who Walter the Dog is, but you will have most likely observed (and even used) an image with his face on it as a meme. The bull terrier is most famed for the staring / front camera meme, which includes a closeup of his face.

The image first went viral in 2018, when Walter's proprietor posted the photograph with the caption  "When u open the front-facing camera on accident." The original tweet received greater than 45,000 likes. 

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The dog was soon dubbed "Walter the Dog" by the web, but his actual identify is in reality Nelson.

Like many different internet celebrities, Walter the Dog has been the matter of death rumors. A photograph of an injured bull terrier started circulating on Twitter, and a mess of users began posting their condolences about Walter's passing. 

Did Walter the Dog die? His proprietor showed whether or not or no longer Walter had passed on to the great beyond. 

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Why do other folks assume that Walter the Dog died?

The death rumors surrounding Walter the Dog began circulating when a CelebritiesDeaths.com posted an article that includes a number of footage that confirmed a bull terrier with multiple gunshot wounds. The headline for the article "Pana Walter The Dog that People Use His Face to Make Staring Meme Has Passed Away."

The article quickly were given traction online, in spite of the indisputable fact that Walter's name used to be incorrectly revealed. Many Twitter and Instagram customers began sharing a screenshot of the headline to send along their condolences. Others had been devastated that the dog had looked as if it would die in such a ugly method.

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Did Walter the Dog die?

Walter's apparent owner, Victoria Leigh, addressed and slammed the death rumors on the dog's Instagram web page. It is essential to note that Walter's Instagram account is not verified, but it surely does have just about 200,000 fans.

In the post, Victoria incorporated the viral pictures that steered that Walter died, and he or she explained that the ones pictures had been of a special dog named Billy. The dog in the photos was once shot during an armed robbery in Philadelphia in February of 2020.  

View this post on Instagram

~official statement from #Waltermom, owner of Nelson aka ‘Walter’~ — Hello, users of the internet. I don’t know where this image originated, but I am happy to report that Nelson is NOT dead. The injured dog in the vet photos is named Billy. He was shot protecting his owner during an armed robbery, but has since made a full recovery (see second slide). Billy doesn’t deserve to be used as a hoax to spread sadness. Billy deserves great recognition for his bravery and awesomeness. If anything (god forbid) ever happens to Nelson, updates will come from his social media accounts, here and on Twitter, @.PupperNelson. Anything else you see online is just a rumor. 🐶 Have a fabulous Sunday, pals. — Tons of hashtags to try to spread the word, idk: #walter #walterthedog #walterdog #ripwalter #memes #memesdaily #dankmemes #dogememes #memes😂 #nelsonthebullterrier

A put up shared through 🐶 NELSON (@puppernelson) on Jun 14, 2020 at 6:12am PDT

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"Hello, users of the internet. I don't know where this image originated, but I am happy to report that Nelson is NOT dead. The injured dog in the vet photos is named Billy. He was shot protecting his owner during an armed robbery, but has since made a full recovery (see second slide). Billy doesn't deserve to be used as a hoax to spread sadness," the caption began. "Billy deserves great recognition for his bravery and awesomeness."

"If anything (god forbid) ever happens to Nelson, updates will come from his social media accounts, here and on Twitter, @.PupperNelson. Anything else you see online is just a rumor..." the caption concluded. 

In a follow up post, Victoria poked fun at the death poke rumors by way of placing up a photograph of Walter/Nelson retaining a work of paper with the time, date and the phrases "I Am Alive" on his nostril.

Though it's unsettling that Walter / Nelson was considering a hoax, lovers of the meme will probably be happy to learn that there is not any fact to the rumors of his death. Plus, dealing with a death hoax is oftentimes a prerequisite of being a celebrity. 

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