A Poignant Goodbye: Kenny Chesney Honors Beloved Dog Ruby with Beachside Ash Scattering
“Spreading Ruby’s love on the West Coast,” Chesney captioned the poignant photo.
Kenny Chesney, Da Ruba Girl; Photos via Instagram, YouTube
Kenny Chesney recently bid a final farewell to his beloved dog, Ruby (Da Ruba Girl), by scattering her ashes on a West Coast beach as a heartfelt tribute.
The country superstar took to social media to share a poignant photo of himself as he scattered the ashes by hand on the sandy shoreline.
“Spreading Ruby’s love on the West Coast. @darubagirl,” Chesney captioned the photo.
Farewell
Da Ruba Girl was more than just a pet, but undoubtedly a cherished companion that brought immense joy to Chesney’s life.
Ruby, whose nickname was Da Ruba Girl, was a rescue dog adopted by Chesney’s longtime friend, Mary.
The Story Of Da Ruba Girl
On December 4, 2022, Da Ruba Girl sadly passed away. The country superstar first revealed the news of Ruby’s passing on social media. At the time, he shared a heartfelt post in memory of his four-legged friend.
“Today we lost Da Ruba Girl. Ruby lived her life never holding anything against anybody. She had an ancient, calming soul. She was honest and authentic, she was a protector, she took a warrior’s path in the journey of her life. Ruby loved the sun and how it felt on her face. She and I had that in common,” Chesney wrote alongside a photo of Da Ruba Girl.
Unconditional Love
He went on to bid farewell to the pup with an emotional message.
“Today I know Ruby is sitting somewhere with the sun on her face happy and grateful to have slipped her skin and body that was full of cancer. I know she is happy to have had Poncho in her life. They were partners in crime and never spent a day apart. But she is forever grateful that Mary saved her from the shelter. But really they ended up saving each other. I’m going to miss her, especially in the mornings. That’s when she and I really connected. So bye-bye, Ruby. You were a very good girl. We loved you, and thank you for teaching us how to love unconditionally. You were one heaven of a dog. “She’ll be known all over the world… as Da Ruba Girl.”
Chesney’s love for Da Ruba Girl inspired him to write a song in her honor. The track was written solely by the East Tennessee native and originally played exclusively on Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Radio channel on SiriusXM.
Just four days after Da Ruba Girl’s passing, Chesney revealed that he was releasing the song all on streaming platforms in an effort to keep his late pup’s spirit alive through song.
“Some of you probably know by now if you’ve paid attention to our social media platforms that we lost Da Ruba Girl. Ruby was an unbelievable dog. She meant a whole lot to a whole lot of people and I wrote a song several years ago about our life with Ruby, about my life with Ruby and what she meant to me,” Chesney said in a video message.
Song Release
While the song had been played on No Shoes Radio for several years, it would then be available for everyone to hear.
“We’ve been playing that song on No Shoes Radio for several years now, my Sirius XM channel and over the years we’ve had a lot of requests that we make that available for people and I’m not sure why I didn’t, but now we are.”
Chesney detailed how proceeds from the song will impact other dogs like Ruby.
“What I’m more excited about is that Ruby’s life gets to mean something, you know she was a Pitbull, which means she lived with a certain amount of prejudice that came along with that. Ruby’s life is going to pay it forward, if you will, through this song because all the proceeds are gonna go to the Stray Rescue of St. Louis,” he revealed. “I’m very proud of that and I’m very happy that Ruby’s life is gonna get to mean something and mean something for a whole lot of other dogs. She’ll be known all over the world as ‘Da Ruba Girl.’”
Paying It Forward
By noon on release day, the track hit No.1 on the iTunes chart and she continues to leave a lasting impact long after her passing.
“She showed us better ways to be human. Losing her has left a hole there are no words for,” Chesney previously shared. “The power of a love like Ruby’s is it keeps giving back, it brings people and dogs together, and it reminds how special and unconditional a dog’s love is. She loved the sun so much; so many times, we’d be together, watching the sun come up – and we both just knew. What a gift she was – and what a gift she’s creating. Someone even gave an anonymous $10,000 donation to honor Da Ruba Girl, which allows their 60 dedicated staff members, 1,000 volunteers and 400 foster families help provide trauma and vet care to make life good for the animals who come in waiting on their forever humans.”
Additional donations may be made through Stray Rescue of St. Louis’ website: www.strayrescue.org. In the notes section please write “In Honor of Da Ruba Girl” to help other abandoned animals.
Chesney is also a dog dad to Poncho, a Goldendoodle he adopted in 2012.
Poncho is the “Here And Now” singer’s first dog since childhood. He sometimes pops up on Chesney’s social media accounts and even made a guest appearance in his 2012 “Come Over” music video.
Kenny Chesney is an animal lover and showcased his love for dogs and cats in 2018 when he helped rescue nearly 1,400 animals after Hurricane Irma tore through the U.S. Virgin Islands. His Love For Love City Foundation aided in the response through a partnership with Victory Air and Big Dog Ranch Rescue.
Additionally, Kenny Chesney wrapped his wildly successful I Go Back Tour earlier this year. He will return to the stage on July 22 in Newton, IA for a performance at the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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