Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are saying goodbye to a dog who was part of their family before they were even a couple.
Stefani announced September 5 that Betty, their 18-year-old dog, had died. “It’s with the heaviest hearts that we share our sweet Betty has gone to heaven,” she wrote in an Instagram tribute.
The accompanying montage moves through years of Betty’s life with the family, including time at Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch, moments with Stefani’s sons Kingston, Zuma and Apollo, and appearances alongside the couple during work and travel. Stefani set the tribute to her duet with Shelton, “Nobody But You.”
Betty had an unusually direct connection to that song. She appeared in its official 2020 music video, years after beginning life as Shelton’s dog and before becoming just as attached to Stefani.
Stefani Looked Back at 18 Years With Betty
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Stefani’s tribute mixes ordinary family footage with glimpses of Betty around the couple’s public lives. The clips include quiet time at the ranch, Betty with the children and moments from trips and workdays.
“She made us all smile for 18 years,” Stefani wrote. “We’re going to miss her forever. Thank u Betty for all the love + joy u brought into our lives.” The post did not disclose a cause of death or say whether Betty had recently been ill.
The montage also revisits Betty’s connection to “Nobody But You.” In the official music video, Shelton walks through the woods with her before Betty later appears between him and Stefani as the couple relaxes together on a couch.
Shelton Once Joked That Betty Had Become ‘Gwen’s Dog’
Betty was originally Shelton’s pet, but her loyalties became a running joke after he and Stefani started dating. During a 2020 CMT conversation, Shelton explained that Betty had quickly warmed to Stefani.
“She’s Gwen’s dog now,” Shelton joked. Stefani immediately pushed back on the idea that Betty had chosen one of them over the other, saying, “She loves both of her parents very much.” Us Weekly revisited the exchange following Betty’s death.
By then, Betty had already appeared in one of the couple’s best known collaborations. The “Nobody But You” video, released in January 2020, mixed more theatrical sequences with relaxed scenes of Shelton and Stefani together, including their couch scene with Betty.
Betty Was Still Traveling With Stefani Two Weeks Earlier
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Betty made one of her final public appearances only about two weeks before Stefani announced her death. Stefani brought her along when she traveled to surprise Shelton during his appearance at the VOA Country Music Festival.
“Me + Betty decided to pull up on @blakeshelton,” Stefani wrote with the behind the scenes video. The footage showed Betty resting in Stefani’s trailer with a dog bed ready for her and a handkerchief around her neck before Stefani headed out to join Shelton.
Stefani and Shelton performed “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere” together that night. Betty remained behind the scenes, part of another trip with the family only weeks before Stefani shared her farewell.