Kelsea Ballerini Shares Her Dog Dibs Has Inoperable Heart Cancer

Kelsea Ballerini has a sad update about her favorite pup. 

The "Cowboys Cry Too" singer shared that her beloved dog Dibs—whom she named after her 2014 song—was diagnosed with cancer, which has made focusing on her upcoming album Patterns difficult.

"i feel pretty disingenuous promoting this album and tracklist reveal (which i am so, so proud of)," Kelsea wrote on Instagram Stories Aug. 28, "without updating you on my sweet dibs health."

The 30-year-old explained that in "the last few days we have discovered that dibby has inoperable cancer in his heart." Luckily, he's not in pain and she added that it hasn't spread further, so now she and Dibs' doctors are planning their next steps.

"We're going to start him on the 'big' meds," she wrote, "to try to make sure he can have as many comfortable and happy days (weeks, months) left as possible."

And Kelsea is incredibly thankful to her mom Carla—joking that Dibs "stans grandma"—as well as her boyfriend Chase Stokes, whom she calls "the greatest dog dad in the world."

"it's a complex and emotional time," she continued. "He's been my baby and my steady for the last 9 years and very much alongside this whole journey with us all."

And the "This Feeling" singer—who also posted a sweet pic of her pooch to her Stories—decided to share the news with her fans because she knows so many of them "care about him and are sending him prayers and love." 

"From my whole heart... thank you," she added. "He's wagging his tail right now no doubt saying thank you too."

And Kelsea's love for Dibs—who even has his own Instagram—has been very important to her over the years. He even got a special shoutout on her 2023 song "Penthouse," as she sang, "I bought the house with a fence, enough room for some kids, a backyard for Dibs."

But more than that, he's always been there for her, especially as she was beginning her career in music.

"When I started touring, it was my first time really being on my own," she said in a 2020 Pedigree commercial. "I was homesick sometimes, and I was like, 'I really want a dog.'"

And luckily for the Voice coach, she found her perfect pet.

"Dibs came into my life when I got my first tour bus," she recalled. "I think dogs kind of make home wherever you are, and so, for me, he's always made it feel like home."