Kelsea Ballerini is mourning the death of her longtime canine companion, Dibs.
“My sweet Dibs went to doggy heaven yesterday,” Ballerini, 32, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, January 8. “He spent his last few days in his backyard looking at the sunshine and surrounded and visited by his forever people.”
She continued, “There are no words to articulate his role in my life, but I couldn’t have done the last 10 years without him, and he will always be my soul dog … and I pray and believe we’ll find each other in every life.”
Ballerini further stated that she felt “like the luckiest girl in the world” to have been Dibs’ “dog mom.”
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“[It was the] greatest gift of my life,” she wrote, also thanking her fans for “loving him so loudly.”
Ballerini’s boyfriend, Chase Stokes, issued his own tribute to Dibs in the comments section, succinctly replying, “My sweet sweet boy.”
The country singer, who adopted Dibs in 2015, was by the pup’s side after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2024.
“The last few days we have discovered that Dibby has inoperable cancer in his heart,” Ballerini wrote via her Instagram Stories in August 2024. “He’s not in pain, and luckily it hasn’t spread further.
At the time, Ballerini shared that Dibs needed to take “‘big’ meds to make sure he can have as many comfortable and happy days … left as possible.”
“My mom is here (he stans grandma), and Chase is the greatest dog dad in the world,” Ballerini continued. “He is getting extra cuddles and kibbles from his little family. [It has been a] complex and emotional time. He’s been my baby and my steady for the last 9 years and very much alongside this whole journey with us all. He’s wagging his tail right now, no doubt, saying thank you too.”
Several hours earlier, Ballerini asked her fans to share prayers for her beloved pet.
“My sweet dibs needs big prayers and healing energy sent his way,” she wrote at the time. “Send our boy some love.”
After adopting Dibs, Ballerini started “A Dog Named Dibs” Instagram page to share her favorite memories of the pooch.
“I’m cancer-free now, and my last days were so happy,” a Thursday post read. “My mom and my aunts and dad and grandma are going to show you a lot of my life on this page because I have so many pictures and videos that we all wanna share. Also, love you and thank you.”
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Stokes, 33, had been Dibs’ “dog dad” ever since he started dating Ballerini in 2023. The couple briefly broke up last fall, only to reconnect over the holiday season.
“This time, they’re moving much more carefully and intentionally,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month. “After a very messy breakup, they took real time apart to figure out what they actually wanted.”
Per the insider, Ballerini and Stokes plan to keep their relationship “more private” this time around.
“They want to protect what they’re rebuilding and avoid outside noise or pressure,” the source told Us. “It’s still early, but they are rebuilding trust and better communication. They are hopeful their relationship will work in a healthier way than before.”
