Kelsea Ballerini Mourns the Loss of Her Beloved Dog Dibs After Cancer Battle

Kelsea Ballerini is mourning the loss of her beloved dog, Dibs, following a battle with cancer.

The superstar took to social media late Thursday (Jan. 8) to share that he crossed the rainbow bridge the day prior (Jan. 7).

Her message included a heartfelt tribute to her loyal four-legged companion and was shared alongside a gallery of photos spanning Dibs’ life, from his days as a puppy to his final moments. 

In one especially emotional image, Ballerini’s boyfriend, Chase Stokes, can be seen lying on the floor beside her as they appeared to say goodbye to their beloved dog.

“my sweet dibs went to doggy heaven yesterday. he spent his last few days in his backyard looking at the sunshine and surrounded and visited by his forever people. there are no words to articulate his role in my life, but i 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,” she wrote. “his love and reach can’t be captured in an instagram photo dump, or in a caption, but here’s a look at some happy from dibs. thank you for loving him so loudly with me. i feel like the luckiest girl in the world that i got to be his dog mom, greatest gift of my life.”

Within moments of her post going live, fans and fellow artists flooded the comments section with messages of love and condolences.

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A post shared by Kelsea Ballerini (@kelseaballerini)

Ashley Cooke wrote, “an angel baby right where he belongs.. and still always with you. sending 

so much love,” while Carly Pearce simply shared, “Oh Kels.”

Dasha, Lily Rose, Jo Dee Messina, Karen Fairchild, Lauren Alaina, and many others also took time to send their love and support during this difficult time.

Dibs was diagnosed with what Ballerini described as “inoperable cancer in his heart” in the late summer of 2024.

At the time, Ballerini shared his diagnosis in an effort to remain open and honest with fans. 

“He’s not in pain, and luckily it hasn’t spread further,” she wrote in the message. “We’re going to start him on the ‘big’ meds to try to make sure he can have as many comfortable and happy days (weeks, months🙏) left as possible.” 

 He underwent chemo and ultimately outlived his original prognosis by over a year. 

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A post shared by Dibs (@adognameddibs)

Ballerini adopted Dibs in 2015 and named him after one of her earliest hits, “Dibs.” He often joined her on the road and made frequent appearances on her Instagram feed over the years. She famously referenced him in her song “Penthouse,” singing, “Enough room for some kids, a backyard for Dibs…”

As with any loss of a dog, the grief is immeasurable — and for Ballerini, Dibs will forever remain her soul dog.

Following his passing, Ballerini posted an additional message about Dibs, directing fans to an Instagram account called @adognameddibs, where she plans to share more photos and videos celebrating his life.