What you need to know
Kelsea Ballerini is mourning the death of her “heart dog” Dibs.
On Thursday, January 8, the 32-year-old country singer announced on Instagram that her dog had passed away the day before. Her post included several videos and photos from Dibs’ life.
“My sweet Dibs went to dog heaven yesterday,” her post began. “He spent his last few days in the backyard watching the sun shine, surrounded by and visited by his forever friends.”
“There are no words to describe his role in my life,” Bareini continued, adding that she “couldn’t have gotten through” the past 10 years without him by her side, calling him her “dog of the heart.”
“I am praying and believe that we can find each other no matter what life throws at us,” she wrote. “His love and reach cannot be captured in an Instagram photo or caption, but here’s a glimpse of Dibs’ happiness.”
The Grammy nominee thanked her fans for “loving him so loudly” along with her. “I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be his dog mom. It’s the greatest gift of my life.”
Kelsea Ballerini/Instagram
Ballerini included some lovely snaps of Dib enjoying nature in recent years, from rolling in the dirt from a grassy lawn to swimming in a waterfall.
The singer also added a photo of her beloved dog, who has supported her over the years, including during visits to the set of The Voice. She also posted a photo of Dibs wearing a bandanna that read, “My Mama is Entertainer of the Year,” likely a reference to her nomination for Entertainer of the Year at the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards.
The proud dog mom also added a video of Dibs walking to her private plane, and another image showed him wearing an “I ❤️ NY” shirt. Meanwhile, another video showed the dog sitting and listening to Ballerini say, “Mommy’s going on tour. Will Dibby come to the show?”
Kelsea Ballerini/Instagram
Ballerini also announced Dibbs’ death on his dedicated Instagram account. The post included a photo of the singer and Dibs sitting together under the stars, wrapped in a blanket.
“I am now cancer free and my last days were so happy,” the post began. “My mother, aunt, father, and grandmother are going to share much of my life on this page because I have so many photos and videos that I want to share with you all. And I love you and thank you.”
Ballerini shared the post to her Instagram Stories, adding, “From now on, I’ll be sharing all of Dibby’s presence on this account ❤️.”
Kelsea Ballerini/Instagram
Kelsea Ballerini/Instagram
Dibs was diagnosed with cancer in August 2024, the Patterns singer revealed. At the time, she revealed that doctors discovered her dog had cancer in his heart.
“He is not in pain and fortunately it has not spread further,” she wrote. “We will start him on the ‘big’ medication and try to keep him comfortable and happy for as long as possible (weeks, months 🙏).”
Almost a year later, in September 2025, the singer revealed that Dibs had undergone an unexpected surgery.
