Kenny Chesney is remembering his late dog and pal, Ruby, with a brand-new charity song, “Da Ruba Girl.” All proceeds from the track will go to the Stray Rescue of St. Louis, which is one of the biggest animal shelters in the nation. This release comes just days after Ruby’s death on Sunday (Dec. 4).

"I wrote 'Da Ruba Girl' about Ruby, because she was this spirit who had so many different pieces to who she was," Chesney tells People in a recent interview. "It was a fun song, and I'd recorded it, but never included it on an album. Instead we'd play it on [SiriusXM’s] No Shoes Radio, where it became a fan favorite. People loved the song, I think, because they all knew a dog who had the same kind of spirit or heart, you know, the kind who was an underdog, who wasn't the obvious choice."

The heartwarming tune, which Chesney wrote solely, chronicles the life Ruby lived, and the indelible mark she's left on the Knoxville, Tenn., native.

“You needed her, she needed you / To hold, to help fill a space / Last in line, last cage at the rescue / Was a love that no one could replace / Lying there like a lost string of pearls / Was Da Ruba Girl,” Chesney sings in the opening verse of the breezy yet sentimental tune, over gently strummed guitar chords.

"They give so much love, so much joy and loyalty. People don't realize that, so these dogs have a much harder time getting adopted,” Chesney says. “It's one of the most wonderful things about the Stray Rescue of St. Louis shelter is the way they find the dogs people abandon and throw away, who may have been abused or just left somewhere and they heal them, then find them homes where all that love they have can be returned."

Along with the release of this song, Chesney is also urging his listeners to give more to the shelter by visiting their website and sending a gift "In Honor of Da Ruba Girl."

"When a dog dies, it's a hole like no other, and as much as you love your dog when they're alive, you really understand how deep that bond was when they slip away," the country hitmaker continues.

"For every dog in the world like Ruby, I hope 'Da Ruba Girl' can bring them new homes, raise money for the shelter and remind people there's a really profound love that happens when you adopt a rescue who truly needs a home."

See Pictures of Country Singers and Their Dogs:

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