Singer Demi Lovato and boyfriend Wilmer Valderama have been left "heartbroken" after their maltipoo Buddy died in a "tragic accident".

The "Neon lights" hitmaker took to social media to let fans know her pooch was involved in a "tragic accident" and passed away over the weekend.

The 22-year-old singer and her boyfriend have since asked fans to "respect our privacy while we take this time to grieve and remember the magical moments we spent with our little angel", reports femalefirst.co.uk.

In a series of posts on micro-blogging website Twitter, Lovato confirmed on Tuesday: "We are absolutely heartbroken to be writing this but Wilmer and I are devastated to inform you that we lost our little angel Buddy last Sunday...He was taken from us way too soon in a tragic accident and though I will never know why this had to happen, I do know that God only puts us through situations that we can handle so with that, together we our staying strong (sic).

"We ask you that you please respect our privacy while we take this time to grieve and remember the magical moments we spent with our little angel. We will never forget our baby boy Buddy and his gentle loving spirit will live on in our hearts forever. RIP my tiniest little nightingale, Buddy. I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be...(sic)".

Lovato went on to say her friends and family are "incredible people" showing "so much love and support in this time of need".

"We have incredible people around us and so much love and support which is holding us up in this time of need. Buddy was loved by so many people and as small as he was, he made a huge impact in our lives. He truly was human in a way and we were so blessed to have him in our lives (sic)," she added.