How Is Kelsea Ballerini’s Dog Now? Why She Broke Down in Tears on The Voice
Ballerini's dog had a medical issue last summer while she was filming The Voice.
Kelsea Ballerini was moved to tears during the first day of Knockouts on The Voice Season 27 (airing March 31), vulnerably sharing that her beloved dog, Dibs, isn't doing so well.
The song that made Kelsea Ballerini cry on The Voice
For the Knockouts, singer Angie Rey chose the ballad "Dirt Cheap" by Cody Johnson, a song from the perspective of a farmer who won't sell his land for any amount of money because of the memories he made there. Rey explained that she related to the song because of her family home, but Ballerini had an even stronger connection.
In the first chorus, Rey sang, "And over there, under that wide oak tree / Beneath the cross is where my best buddy's buried...Keep your money 'cause a man can't leave his dog," and it seems that's what broke the damn for Ballerini, who began to cry so hard in rehearsals that Rey stopped to comfort her.
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"My dog is super sick," Ballerini explained, adding, "That is the thing about country music is it does talk about real life and things that are hard to talk about." She cried again during Rey's performance on stage, and Rey praised her composure, saying, "You’re so graceful in the way you deal with things…you’re a great Coach.”
Kelsea Ballerini's dog Dibs has heart cancer
In August 2024, Ballerini revealed on Instagram that she'd just received devastating news about her beloved dog, Dibs. "The last few days we have discovered that dibby has inoperable cancer in his heart," she wrote about her companion of nearly a decade, per TODAY. "He's not in pain, and luckily it hasn't spread further. 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."
Dibs is beloved among Ballerini's fans, making an early appearance in the music video for her song aptly titled "Dibs." And in the lyrics of her hit "Penthouse," in which she sings, "I bought the house with a fence, Enough room for some kids, a backyard for Dibs."
Ballerini last updated fans on Dibs' health in November 2024, filming a TikTok showing him enjoying his backyard and saying that he was feeling pretty well that day and was grateful for all the thoughts, prayers and love.
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#DibsStrong.
