For those who don’t know, Robert Irwin isn’t just known for raising heart rates with his appearances on Dancing With The Stars. Like his famous father, Steve, the 21-year-old is a big animal lover.

Although he’s extremely close to his mother, Terri, and sister, Bindi, back home in Australia, he has an even bigger soft spot for one particular family member: his beloved pug, Stella.

Over the weekend, the Australian Zoo member posted some heartbreaking news regarding Stella on Instagram. It comes a few weeks after Robert’s salary for taking part in the show was uncovered.

Alongside a black and white picture of the cute pooch, Robert began, “This is a tough one. I wanted to give an unfortunate update on my sweet little pup, Stella. A mass was discovered that ended up being cancerous,” he shared. “We still don’t know the full extent of the cancer. I have faith she’ll be in the clear.

“She is such an important part of our little fam, so it’s been stressful to say the least being away from home and away from her while she goes through this.

Robert Irwin has opened up about a sad family news (Image: Getty)

“I know you guys love seeing her and I love sharing her with you so wanted to give an update… she is doing ok post-surgery so far, she’s my little bestie & one tough cookie,” he concluded.

Fans were quick to inundate the star with kind messagws, including his DTWS pro Danielle Fishel, who commented, “Robert, I’m praying for your sweet Stella to make a full recovery.”

Bindi added, “She’s such a strong and beautiful little soul,” followed by a red heart emoji, with his mom chiming in, “Every day is another day of healing. She is a determined little soul!”

“Sending you guys so much love she’ll be back on top in no time xxx,” wrote one fan, with another echoing, “Sending love and healing energy your way.”

The news comes almost two decades after his dad Steve passed away after an underwater accident at age 44, when Robert was just two years old.

The famous wildlife conservationist said that as he gets older, he learns more and more about his dad and feels closer to him than ever, despite having only spent a few years of his life with his father.

In other news, Robert is about to head into the fifth week of the long-running ABC dance competition. This week’s theme is Dedication Night, where the remaining contestants take to the ballroom floor to honour influential figures and institutions in their lives through heartfelt performances.