Kelsea Ballerini is sharing the fondest of memories of Dibs, her “soul dog” who passed away this week following a years-long battle with cancer.
The country artist posted a batch of snaps and videos of Dibs, from cuddly puppy to playing at the beach, chewing, rolling around and walkies on a tarmac, her pooch always being a good boy.
“My sweet dibs went to doggy heaven yesterday,” she writes, noting “he spent his last few days in his backyard looking at the sunshine and surrounded and visited by his forever people.”
Like so many of us who’ve lost our pets, Ballerini admits “there are no words to articulate his role in my life,” and that she “couldn’t have done the last ten years without him, and he will always be my soul dog…and i pray and believe we’ll find each other in every life.”
The singer-songwriter adopted her cherished pup in 2015, and enshrined him into the history books the following year with “Dibs,” which reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2016. That feat made her one of only five women to notch leaders on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart with their first two charted titles, and the first in 15 years.
Later, in August 2024, Ballerini revealed that Dibs had been diagnosed with inoperable cancer in his heart. “He’s not in pain and luckily it hasn’t spread further,” she wrote at the time.
A slew of artists and celebrities reached out, heartbroken at the news. Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild writes, “Sweetest pup ever. love you kels.” And digital creator Jordy Cray adds, “Oh, Kelsea. I’m so sorry. Your love kept him alive this long. He was so lucky to have you. I hope you two find each other in every lifetime.”
Ballerini, who boasts 12 Billboard Hot 100 hits (including “Dibs,” which peaked at No. 58), and eight career titles on the Billboard 200, was in the headlines at year’s end when she and Chase Stokes announced they were an item once again. Romance bloomed, apparently, after they called time on their relationship in September following three years of dating.
For now, the multiple Grammy Award nominee will mourn the passing her four-legged friend.
“Thank you for loving him so loudly with me,” Ballerini writes. “I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that i got to be his dog mom, greatest gift of my life.”