Kenny Chesney recently bid a final farewell to his beloved late 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.
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.
Da Ruba Girl Passed Away In December of 2022
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.
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.”
The Beloved Dog Inspired A Song
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.
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.”
The Song’s Proceeds Will Benefit Other Dogs
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.’”
No. 1 On iTunes
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.
He Is Also A Dog Dad To Poncho
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.
