Dolly Parton’s extraordinary legacy extends far beyond the songs she wrote and the stages she commanded. Following the country music legend’s passing on 25 August at the age of 80, fans are remembering another tender part of her story, her lifelong love of dogs.

“Animals had been part of Dolly’s world long before she became one of music’s most recognizable stars,” wrote Hola Magazine. “Raised alongside 11 siblings in the mountains of East Tennessee, the ‘Jolene’ singer grew up surrounded by the family’s ‘yard dogs.” Dolly believed a beloved pet saved her life, according to the magazine: “During her marriage to Carl Dean, Dolly had a Boston Terrier named Popeye. The little dog became a treasured member of their famously private home life, but his importance went much deeper than companionship.

“It is said that Dolly Parton grew up surrounded by her family’s ‘yard dogs’ in the mountains of East Tennessee. Dolly revealed that Popeye unexpectedly appeared during one of the darkest moments of her life.

“The singer had been experiencing a period of depression and heartbreak when she found herself looking at a gun she kept in her bedroom for protection. Just as she picked it up, Dolly heard Popeye’s paws coming up the stairs. His arrival startled her and brought her back to reality. She put the gun down and began to pray.”

Meet Dolly’s adorable ‘god-dog’

Although Dolly revealed in 2024 that she did not have a pet of her own at the time, she still had a special four-legged companion in her life. Billy the Kid, a French bulldog belonging to her longtime manager Danny Nozell, became the singer’s beloved “god-dog” and inspired two of her children’s books.

Billy frequently appeared alongside the star and eventually inspired her to become a children’s book author. Dolly released Billy the Kid Makes It Big in 2023, telling the story of a music-loving French bulldog who travels to Nashville with dreams of becoming a country star.

Like many of Dolly’s own songs, the book carries an uplifting message about believing in yourself, confronting bullies and finding the determination to pursue a dream. It even includes playful canine versions of her classics, including “Jowlene” and “I Will Pawlways Love You.”

Dolly’s connection with dogs was present from the very beginning of her career. Her first recorded song was titled “Puppy Love,” which she wrote with her uncle Bill Owens when she was just 11 years old. She recorded the song two years later during a trip to a studio in Louisiana.

Cats, too

Did you know that back in the 1970s, Dolly Parton once took in an injured cat named Trampolina — despite famously noting she isn’t traditionally a “cat person,” said FloopyCats on Facebook.

After nursing her back to health, Dolly discovered Trampolina was pregnant and soon had kittens! True to form, she made sure the mother cat was spayed afterward and noted that Trampolina used to follow her around “like a little dog.”

While Dolly is much better known for her lifelong love of dogs (even launching her own “Doggy Parton” pet line), this just goes to show she will always open her heart and home when an animal is in need.

Dolly’s influence reached the feline world in another unusual way: Did you know that there is a medical condition in cats named after the legend, who often joked about her large breasts that attracted so much attention?

Feline Mammary Hypertrophy — when a cat’s mammary glands are very enlarged and swollen — is informally known as Dolly Parton Syndrome. And Dolly had such a great sense of humor that I am sure she would get a kick out of this disease’s name.

Since the heartbreaking news broke about Dolly’s death from cancer at age 80, tributes have been pouring in around the world, from celebrities and from everyday people on social media. There are several cat-themed posts of tribute to Dolly, including an announcement from April’s Kittens of a litter named after the entertainer and people and places associated with her. The mother, a tortie with a coat of two colors, is named Mama Dolly, and the babies are: Truvy, Jolene, Carl Dean, Pawton and Tennessee. May these felines at April’s Kittens, a cat cafe and adoption center in Illinois, all find loving homes.