Sia says she feared she would relapse following death of dog

‘Your messages and old photos helped me through it, sober and alive,’ singer says to her fans

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Sia has said she feared she would relapse following the death of her dog.

On 31 October, the singer announced on Twitter that her pet dog, Pantera Marvelous, passed away 16 years after rescuing him as a stray.

Scores of the musician’s fans rushed to offer her messages of condolences, several of whom shared pictures of their own dogs who had passed away.

A couple of days after sharing the news of her loss, Sia tweeted her thanks to her fans for their messages of support, revealing that she “never imagined” she would be able to handle Pantera’s death “without relapsing or joining him”.

“I figured I’d let you know that my greatest fear was Pantera dying,” the This Is Acting singer wrote.

“The night he died, in the wee hours your messages and old photos helped me through it, sober and alive. You should know that. Thank you,” she stated.

Sia has struggled with substance addiction in the past.

In a profile published in The New York Times in 2014, it was stated that the singer wrote a suicide note four years prior.

Following her admission of the impact her dog’s death had on her mental health, many of her Twitter followers left her heartwarming messages of support.​

“We will always be here for you @sia, you have supported so many of us through all challenges in life, so we will always understand and have your back! We love you, keep going,” one person wrote.

“I’m so proud of you and your sobriety is so so so important Sia!” another said. “We all adore you, and care for you more than you could imagine.”

In October, Sia opened up about suffering from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a group of genetic conditions that affect the body’s connective tissue.

The singer urged anyone else living with the condition, which can cause aches in the joints and extreme fatigue, to “keep going”.

“Life is f***ing hard. Pain is demoralising, and you’re not alone,” she said.

If you are in need of mental health support, you can contact the free 24/7 Samaritans helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch.