It wasnt about her.
Or their daughter, Hope.
Or their son, Gus.
Courtesy of Governor Tim Walz
It was about their dog.
Scout locked himself in our bedroom somehow, she wrote.
There is no key.
Courtesy of Governor Tim Walz
The governor reacted with a question mark.
Then, he screenshotted their conversation and posted it to X.This damn dog,he tweeted.
In 2017, Tim Walz made Gus a promise.
Photo: Courtesy of Governor Tim Walz
If he won the election for Minnesota governor the following year, the family could get a dog.
A high-wire and stressful campaign season unfolded over the next several months.
But despite the craziness, his son didnt forget.
Governor Walz and Scout ride in a Scout International.
Sold my wife.)
Walz won the election in November 2018 with 53.8% of the vote.
His children congratulated their father…and then came to collect their prize.
Courtesy of Governor Tim Walz
Nine months after his January inauguration, Walz scheduled a press conference.
Before Scout was the First Dog of Minnesota, he was Gene, an abandoned rescue.
Many had crawled down and gotten stuck in a ravine right before a rainstorm.
Courtesy of Governor Tim Walz
A woman named Kathy discovered them.
With the help of her son, she coaxed them all out before the area flooded.
They knew if they didnt get them all out now, they never would.
The litter was taken in by the Minnesota-based nonprofit Midwest Animal Rescue and Services.
One by one, they gave each one a temporary name.
One male in particulardescribed by MARS toVogueas very calm, slightly nervous, and well behavedwas called Gene.
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They posted an adoption listing for Gene online.
Within several days, MARS had an system from the Walz family.
They rechristened him as Scout.
Scout settled in well to the Governors Mansion in St. Paul.
He played frisbee in the backyard with the governor.
He drove with his family to Dairy Queen for Pup Cups.
He frequently snuck cat food from the bowls of his feline sibling Afton, and later Honey.
Oh, and he ate his dads glasses before a COVID-19 press briefing.
In 2023, the Minnesota Governors Residence needed repairs.
So the Walzes leased Eastcliff, the official residence of the president of the University of Minnesota.
Thats where Scout really got into trouble.
He had no problem opening doors at his old house.
A year later, the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz as her running mate.
So he reposted it on his accountand it quickly went viral among his four million-plus followers.
Walz, a former school teacher and high school football coach, felt relatable and familiar to many Americans.
But Nelson also believes it showcases something else: his character.
Hes a rescue, he notes.
Below, the Walz family and Scout answerVogues Dogue questionnaire.
Walz Family
Vogue:What is your dogs best quality?
Hes a gentle giant, but hes just a big softie.
Who would voice your dog in a movie?
What is your dogs weirdest nickname, and how did you come up with it?
He pretty much goes by Scout or Scoutie.
Governor Walz and Scout ride in a Scout International.
Where is the strangest place youve taken your dog?
Well, dont know if this counts but he got himself on theTodayshow for locking himself in a bedroom.
We had to go through the window and rescue him.
We still dont know how he did it.
If you could tell your dog one thing, what would it be?
That he rescued us as much as we rescued him.
What is the most human thing your dog does?
What is the most dog thing your dog does?
And he cant stand when Honey the cat is getting more attention than he is.
Scout
Vogue:What is your full name?
Scout Walz
Astrological sign?
Frisbeeespecially when Tim wants to throw it for me.
Anything with peanut butter on it.
Stealing my sister Honeys cat food.
Stealing and eating Tims glasses.
If you could talk, what would your catchphrase be?
If I can reach it, I can eat it.
What is your humans worst habit?
The guy loves Diet Mountain Dew.
