Kelsea Ballerini Asking Fans to Keep Their Distance From Dog Dibs

Kelsea Ballerini‘s recent request for fans may seem blunt, but there’s a good reason for it.

The singer has asked that people keep their distance from her beloved dog, Dibs, during her upcoming tour.

Dibs has been a constant companion in Ballerini’s life — he’s been her support system during some of her toughest moments, including her high-profile divorce. Unfortunately, last August, he was diagnosed with inoperable heart cancer. The country star was told then that he didn’t have much time left, but Dibs has exceeded those expectations and continues to stay happy and active.

Given his condition, Ballerini’s primary focus now is making sure he is comfortable and not stressed out by unnecessary attention, so she is asking fans to politely keep away if they see him.

“Dibby gets to come to around half of the East Coast run — which brings me to — if you see him/us outside the arena for a potty break or quick little walk, politely please remember he’s sick and easily overwhelmed right now, so it’s probably not the right time to say hey,” the star says in the comments section of a post about her upcoming tour.

“But if it’s just me, bring on the hugs forever obviously,” she adds.

“Just wanna protect our little fur baby and keep him safe and comfortable while he’s having his little tour time.”

So, it’s better keep it to a paw wave if you see Dibs on the East Coast.

Ballerini does, however, want fans to weigh in with songs they want to see on her live show setlists. Her next show is Jan. 21 in Grand Rapids, Mich., followed by dates in Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, Detroit and more. See a full list of dates here.