Any pet owner will tell you that the loss of a furry friend always stays with you, and sadly, Demi Lovato knows that fact all too well. On January 31, the singer, 26, took to Instagram to share a picture of her new tattoo in honor of her late dog. “RIP, Buddy. I will love you forever and never forget you,” the brunette beauty captioned the post. The tattoo, which Demi placed on her ankle, is a picture of the Maltipoo, along with the words “Buddy was here.”

Demi’s pup, who she shared with ex-boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama, passed away in July 2015. “We are absolutely heartbroken to be writing this, but Wilmer and I are devastated to inform you that we lost our little angel Buddy last Sunday. He was taken from us way too soon in a tragic accident and though I will never know why this had to happen, I do know that God only puts us through situations that we can handle so with that, together we are staying strong,” Demi previously tweeted on behalf of the pair.

Demi Lovato's new tattoo of her late dog Buddy
Instagram

“We have incredible people around us and so much love and support which is holding us up in this time of need. Buddy was loved by so many people and as small as he was, he made a huge impact in our lives,” she continued.

“He truly was human in a way and we were so blessed to have him in our lives. We ask you that you please respect our privacy while we take this time to grieve and remember the magical moments we spent with our little angel. We will never forget our baby boy Buddy and his gentle loving spirit will live on in our hearts forever. RIP, my tiniest little nightingale Buddy.”

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I’M SO HAPPY!!!!!! #MOM 💗💗💗💗💗💗😄😄😄😄😄😄😄

A post shared by Buddy Lovato (@demisbuddy) on

As devastating as Demi’s loss was, and surely continues to be, she should be proud of herself for embracing the heartbreak and honoring her longtime companion in such a beautiful way. Rest easy, Buddy.