BEAU was always the favourite in the Weitering household.
A tiny German Shepherd puppy when he was brought into the care of Carlton defender Jacob Weitering and his partner Isabel, Beau immediately became a towering and central figure in their lives.
“I try not to say that Beau was the golden child,” Weitering tells AFL.com.au from Sandringham’s Trevor Barker Oval. “But the reason we got our second dog, Desmond, was so that Beau would have a companion.”
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Weitering had always grown up with dogs in his family. Rottweilers, Cocker Spaniels, Spoodles, Pugs, you name it. Beau was different, though. German Shepherds and their unique nature had always resonated with him, and now he had one of his own.
“Beau was an emotional dog,” Weitering says.
“The stereotype for German Shepherds is that they’re incredibly loyal and incredibly smart dogs and they build a very deep bond with their owners. My partner, Isabel, my mum, my grandparents, everyone was pretty emotional when he passed on. He was the favourite child. He was just incredibly caring and loving.
“They’re a great source of happiness to come home to, especially when you’re playing football and maybe things aren’t going so well. You might have lost, or you might not have had a great day, but I think anyone that owns a dog would understand that. He was a very good dog and unfortunately his life was cut very short.”
Beau passed away earlier this year at the age of just seven, leaving a hole in the Weiterings’ lives that would be near-impossible to fill. To Jacob and Isabel, he wasn’t just a dog. He was family. So much so he even had a role in their wedding party.
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“That was one of the more special moments of our wedding day,” Weitering says.
“Unfortunately, a lot of German Shepherds have medical issues and behavioural issues and all sorts of stuff. Beau, to his absolute credit, was a wonderful dog. But there were a few medical issues that got to him. He had some pretty bad skin issues, then he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away about 12 months after.
“We knew that Beau was towards the back end and we were fortunate that it was a surprise wedding. We got married 10 minutes from home, so I got one of my mates to quickly drive down and grab the pooches to grab a few snaps. It was just another special part of the day and a great memory that we’ll forever have in the photo album.”
Beau’s passing has led Weitering to Sandringham, where he’s surrounded by German Shepherds in need of adoption. It’s via charity program German Shepherd Rescue Victoria (GSRV) that the Carlton defender wants to honour the memory of his best mate and help fill the gaping void left by his death.
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“I’d followed the GSRV pages on social media for about five years, following their journey, but I’d never got involved. With the passing of Beau, I felt a little bit empty. I just wanted to help in any way possible,” Weitering says.
“I’d been thinking about it a little bit, understanding that I probably can’t be as hands-on as some of the unbelievable volunteers that are at the rescue, so I’ll be playing that ambassador role. I’ll be trying to get their message out a little bit more.
“There’s the fundraising and donations. It is a charity and a non-for-profit organisation, so they heavily rely on that funding. They might get a vet clinic or a dog that’s been fostered out that has a serious medical issues that might cost them $10,000 in terms of the medical bill. They typically cover those sorts of bills with the dogs they’ve helped out. Any sort of donation, any sort of help, is certainly welcome.”
Jacob Weitering is seen at a German Shepherd Rescue Victoria media opportunity on May 1, 2025. Picture: Rose Zarucky
Weitering is at ease with German Shepherds, just as comfortable around the boisterous, leaping dogs at Trevor Barker Oval as he is around the game’s best key forwards each weekend. It’s in this sort of environment where the All Australian now wants to dedicate his rare off-days from footy.
“The GSRV program does a lot of work with a silly amount of dogs,” Weitering says.
“Their mission is to rehome and adopt as many German Shepherds as possible in Victoria. There are eight committee members and many more volunteers that work for them, all of them full-time workers who are, in their own time, working with about 180 to 200 dogs a year.
“That’s rescuing dogs that have been surrendered, dogs from pounds, then dogs that may have medical issues that have been reported to them. They’re just doing a wonderful job. I just wanted to be part of it in some way and fill the hole that Beau has left me and give back.”
Jacob Weitering poses for a photo at a German Shepherd Rescue Victoria media opportunity on May 1, 2025. Picture: Rose Zarucky
Weitering believes he was named after his mum’s first German Shepherd, a dog named Jake. He was the first of many German Shepherds that came through his family, a legacy in the Weitering household that continued with Beau.
“Beau was my first dog that I’ve ever got personally,” Weitering says.
“The love started with my grandparents, who had German Shepherds throughout their lives. They had one when I was growing up called Jack. He was a working line breed with a beautiful nature and he was incredibly good with kids. I think that’s where the love started.
“We’ve got Desmond now as well. They say Corgis are a German Shepherd in a very, very small body. Albeit a very chunky body. But dogs are just a massive part of a lot of people’s life. They are man’s best friend.”
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So, is another German Shepherd on the cards one day? And will it come through GSRV?
“I’d love to,” Weitering says.
“Where I’m at, I’m very fortunate to be in the position that I am. But it is a big responsibility to get a dog, let alone a German Shepherd. The education behind that, the training, understanding the behaviour of the dog and their body language is pretty critical.
“That’s why working with the rescues is going to be awesome for myself and my wife. I think at some point we’ll definitely get another one and I’m sure a foster or a rescue will be the one.”
