Norman Reedus says he’ll miss ‘The Walking Dead’ canine co-star in tribute after his ‘best TV buddy’ dies

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: It’s a sad day for ‘The Walking Dead’ lovers as the Belgian Shepherd who played the Dog in the last three seasons of the series, has died. 

AMC announced the heartbreaking news on their Instagram on Friday, June 14. Sharing a carousel of Seven’s pictures, the network wrote, “Rest in peace, Seven. #TWD’s best boy.”

‘TWD’ cast members pay tribute to Seven

As soon as the news of the canine’s passing was shared, Seven’s costars from the show paid their tributes on social media, with Norman Reedus leading the pack.

Reedus, who played the role of Daryl Dixon, the owner of Dog, shared a picture of Seven with their ‘Walking Dead’ cast members, including Yvette Nicole Brown, Sabrina Gennarino, Khary Payton and Lynn Collinson on his Instagram Story, while writing, “Gonna miss u seven.” Adding a broken heart emoji, he concluded, “Best TV buddy ever.”

He also posted another photo of them together on his Instagram, writing, “Will miss u buddy.”

Per Variety, Seven appeared in 26 episodes of the zombie apocalypse movie. According to ‘The TWD’ Fandom site, Seven’s character Dog is described as “brave and loyal to his allies.” 

“He never shies away from danger and always listens to his owner, Daryl Dixon. To his enemies, Dog can be quite vicious, going in to bite them if it means protecting his allies,” describes the site. 

‘The Walking Dead’s official X account too honored Seven through an endearing post. Sharing a picture of the canine with Melissa McBride, they wrote, “All dogs go to heaven. Rest in peace, Seven.” 

‘TWD’ stars including Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Yvette Nicole Brown, Sabrina Gennarino, Khary Payton and Lynn Collins remembered Seven on social media as well. 

Reedus once said Seven was the smartest cast member

Ever since Reedus got to work with Seven, he formed a special bond with the Dog star. 

During a 2018 interview with ComicBook.com, when he was asked about his experience with Seven, he gushed, “I love it. I think he's the smartest cast member we got.”

The 55-year-old actor added, “We just did a scene the other day that ended up being the opposite of what it was supposed to be because the dog just wanted to do something else, and it came out so much better. He'll probably be running the show.”

He also added that his experience of working with Seven was “great!” adding, “I love it. He loves me, too.”

Seven is mourned by fans and cast members alike

Fans took over to the social media to mourn Seven. 

One of the social media users said on Facebook, "The best actor in the whole show."

Someone else said, "All stars have an expiration date my condolences to the family."

"I watched Walking Dead full from season 1 to season 11. Loved the Daryl dog! just loved the chemistry of both of them in the seasons..sad to know🥺," mourned another fan.

Someone else wrote, "So sad a great addition to Daryl's story 😢 🐾💕 Run free over Rainbow 🌈 Bridge Seven 🐾🐾."

"Rip seven you will be missed my canine friend," observed another.

One of the actors from the 'TWD' set recounted on Instagram, "I had the pleasure of working with Seven for a The Walking Dead press tour. I was a zombie actor. I was told that he was a working dog and wouldn’t want me to pet him. In between performances, he would nudge my twisted zombie hand with his nose. He indeed wanted some pets! He was the goodest boy!"

"That's so sad. He was a good "Dog". May he rest in peace and keep all those great memories you made with him," added another.

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