Walter’s apparent owner, Victoria Leigh, addressed and slammed the death rumors on the dog’s Instagram page. It is important to note that Walter’s Instagram account is not verified, but it does have nearly 200,000 followers.
In the post, Victoria included the viral photos that suggested that Walter died, and she explained that those photos were of a different dog named Billy. The dog in the photos was shot during an armed robbery in Philadelphia in February of 2020.
“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 putting up a photo of Walter/Nelson holding a piece of paper with the time, date and the words “I Am Alive” on his nose.
Though it is unsettling that Walter / Nelson was involved in a hoax, fans of the meme will be happy to learn that there is no truth to the rumors of his death. Plus, dealing with a death hoax is oftentimes a prerequisite of being a star.
Source : https://www.distractify.com/p/did-walter-the-dog-die