Gwen Stefani has shared the heartbreaking news that her beloved dog Betty has died at the age of 18.
The 'No Doubt' singer, 56, announced the loss in an emotional Instagram tribute, sharing a montage of treasured moments from Betty's long life with Gwen, her husband Blake Shelton and their family.
"It's with the heaviest hearts that we share our sweet betty has gone to heaven," Gwen wrote alongside broken-heart, dove and paw-print emojis.
© Gwen Stefani/Instagram"She made us all smile for 18 years… we're going to miss her forever. thank u betty for all the love + joy u brought into our lives."
The touching montage showed just how much Betty had become part of the family over the years, with clips of the black-and-tan hound receiving cuddles from Blake and Gwen's youngest son, Apollo, 12, as well as running around the couple's sprawling Oklahoma property.
Other memories showed Gwen doting on Betty while rehearsing with her band, the much-loved pet relaxing in the sunshine and Blake offering her a treat in the kitchen.
© Gwen Stefani/InstagramBetty had been part of Gwen and Blake's relationship almost from the beginning. The dog originally belonged to the country star, but Blake previously joked that Betty had effectively switched allegiances after becoming so attached to Gwen.
"She's Gwen's dog now," he joked during a 2020 interview with CMT, prompting Gwen to insist that Betty loved them both.
Betty also had a starring role in one of the couple's most romantic collaborations.
© Gwen Stefani/InstagramShe appeared alongside Gwen and Blake in the music video for their hit duet 'Nobody But You', released in January 2020. The video offered fans a glimpse at their life together, including sweet scenes of the couple cuddling on a couch with Betty between them.
Just weeks before announcing her death, Gwen shared footage after joining Blake at the VOA Country Music Festival, writing on Instagram: "me + betty decided to pull up on @blakeshelton." Gwen joined her husband onstage during the show to perform Nobody But You and Happy Anywhere.
The heartbreaking loss comes just two months after Gwen and Blake marked five years of marriage.
© Getty ImagesThe couple celebrated their anniversary on July 3, with Gwen looking back at intimate photographs from their 2021 wedding, which took place in a chapel on Blake's Oklahoma property.
Gwen and Blake first met while working as coaches on The Voice in 2014 and began dating the following year. They married in July 2021 after becoming engaged in 2020.
Betty, however, had been there for much of their story – making Gwen's emotional farewell to the pet who brought their family "love + joy" for so many years all the more poignant.
