Woman was dying of cancer, but she was concerned about her dog finding a new home

“If you’re reading this I lost my battle.”

A woman dying of cancer wrote those words in a heartbreaking letter addressed to the Stray Rescue of St. Louis, Missouri, before she lost her battle, according to a Facebook post from the animal shelter.

In the handwritten letter, the woman only asked that her dog, Shell, be taken care of after her death.

“Dear Stray Rescue, I am writing you cause I need you to take my dog, Shell,” the letter says.

The woman then goes on to explain that her mother adopted Shell from Stray Rescue in 2009 or 2010, but her mom now has Alzheimer’s disease.

“So in 2012 Shell came to live with me,” the letter says. “I’ve been fighting cancer for a few months and if you’re reading this I lost my battle. I need for my baby girl to be taken care of in a home with one person.”

“In these days all I do is worry about what’s going to happen to her. I love this girl, she is my daughter,” the letter said, according to the Facebook post.

The woman, who was not identified, wrote that Shell is a “very sweet girl” and has been through a lot. She has trouble trusting people at first, the letter says, but she loves to cuddle.

Shell is about 11 years old, the animal rescue center posted.

“She is scared, but we will shower her with so much love,” Stray Rescue posted. “If someone has been lonely and would like to give Shell a home, with plenty of patience and understanding, please fill out an application.”

More than 3,000 people reacted to the post, and 1,600 people shared it. Many were touched by the woman’s letter.

Two days after photos of the letter and of Shell were posted to Facebook, Shell was adopted, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported.

This story was originally published October 3, 2018 at 4:24 PM.