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Joss Stone Cancels Caribbean Tour To Be With Sick Dog

By Nancy Bailey
Published on: 02:57 PST, Apr 17, 2016

Joss Stone, Grammy-winning British R&B artist, has postponed the Caribbean segment of her world tour to jet home to the UK and be with her dog.

Stone was scheduled to perform in Barbados on April 16, and then in Trinidad and Tobago. But upon learning that her Rottweiler, Missy Elliot, had to be rushed to the vet’s on Thursday with internal bleeding, Stone apologetically took off across the pond.

Photo by: KGC-42/STAR MAX/IPx 10/23/14 Joss Stone is seen in London. (England, UK)
[Photo by KGC-42/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Images]

The 29-year-old singer made a public statement on her Facebook page to show fans that she was still thinking of them, but the dog is “the closest thing I have to a child.”

“I am very sad to announce that I have to postpone the show in Barbados and also Trinidad and Tobago. Hopefully I will be able to return in time for the gig in Venezuela if all is well.

“Last night my dog Missy got rushed to the vets with internal bleeding, I was told she could have only a few hours to live. Luckily she made it through the night and they are now working hard to find out what is wrong and save her.”

According to the Telegraph, Stone acknowledged that prioritizing a sick dog might not make sense to everyone.

“I know to some that may sound ridiculous but for me it is everything.

“I have to go back and make sure she is ok before I can continue with the tour.”

“I will come back I promise, but right now Missy comes first. Please say a prayer for Missy. I don’t know what I will do if she is not around. I can’t bear the thought.

“Please say a prayer even if you don’t believe in God, just put out some good energy for her.”

Dog-lover Stone has relied heavily upon Missy, whom she said is her most protective dog, for personal security following a foiled robbery and murder in 2011.

During the attempted attack, two men drove to Stone’s village in Devon armed with a samurai sword, the Daily Mail said. Police apprehended the suspects after they crashed their car on the way to Stone’s house.

Following the bungled plot, Stone has bought a German Shepherd-collie cross, called Maggie, and Igor, a Caucasian Ovcharka — a large nocturnal breed often used as a guard dog.

“I looked up the top ten protective dogs online. A big picture of a Caucasian Ovcharka came up. I got Igor when he was seven weeks old.”

She already had Missy Elliot the Rottweiler, and a teacup poodle named Dusty Springfield.

“Dusty stays with me in my bedroom at night. Dusty sounds the alarm and Missy might eat somebody. Then Igor lives outside. They keep me at home.

“I wanted to have a protective dog because I had this murder thing happen.

“But I was like ‘You know what, I’m not going to allow that to be a negative thing in my life.’

“In some way, somehow, it has become something positive.

“I said I’m going to get puppies. And this is going to be the reason I get puppies. It’s a silver lining.”

Joss Stone was named “Best Celebrity Dog Owner” by the North Shore Animal League America. She volunteered to help animals in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, said Leslie Padgett, editor of New York Dog magazine.

“Joss is a huge advocate for shelter dogs and it’s not just talk.”

Stone said plans to return to her tour in support of her new album, Water for Your Soul, once the crisis with Missy is past. She has already appeared in India, Nepal, Panama, Guatemala and Costa Rica in 2016.

[Image via Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com]

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