When Renee Weller first saw a photo of a Great Dane puppy, she instantly knew he was the one. His name was Walter, and from the very beginning, he became her constant companion — her “soul dog.”
“The moment I saw a photo of Walter as a pup, I just knew he was mine,” Weller told The Dodo. “What I didn’t know at the time was just how important he would become in my life.”
Walter and Weller were inseparable, sharing everyday adventures side by side. But when Weller went through a difficult breakup, everything changed. Her new living situation didn’t allow large dogs, and suddenly the two best friends were forced apart.
To make it work, Weller and her ex shared custody of Walter for a year. She would pick him up for the day, take him on outings, and bring him back at night. But each time she arrived, Walter was waiting for her at the window. And every time she left, he was there again, watching her go.
“It always broke my heart,” Weller said.
That bittersweet image of Walter gazing out the window stayed with her. His loyalty never wavered — even through separation.
After a year, Weller finally moved into a dog-friendly home where Walter could live with her full-time again. Their reunion brought immense relief and joy.
But Walter’s habit never changed. At the new house, he still sat by the window, waiting for her to return. Only now, Weller said, “the difference was that he knew I was coming back.”
The sight of Walter’s face in the window filled her heart with comfort instead of pain. It became a symbol of everything he meant to her: loyalty, love, and home. That’s when Weller decided to carry the moment with her forever.
“That image, him waiting there with so much love and loyalty, inspired a tattoo,” she explained.
She brought the idea to tattoo artist Sam Smith, who captured Walter’s silhouette in the window on her arm. Seeing the finished piece moved Weller to tears.
“It wasn’t just a tattoo of a dog; it was a tribute to everything Walter had been for me,” she said. “Comfort, loyalty, and home.”
You can see the tattoo here:
When she returned home that day, Walter was — of course — waiting for her at the window, tail wagging wildly as she came through the door. She hugged him tight and showed him the tattoo he had inspired.
Now, no matter where life takes her, Weller carries a reminder of her soul dog with her.
“Walter came into my life at a time of heartbreak and transition,” she said. “He became my stability in a world that felt like it was constantly shifting. He’s more than a pet — he’s truly my sense of home.”
