Last week, an animal shelter in St. Louis was given a dog along with a note from his former owner, who explained that she was losing her battle with cancer. The woman begged the shelter to do everything in their power to find a new home for her beloved dog.

The next day, police were called to the burned out South County apartment of 46 year-old Crystal Chrisp. When they got inside, they found that she had committed suicide by shooting herself.

Crystal had dropped off her dog Shell at Stray Rescue of St. Louis the day before her death along with a note that was dated September 16.

“I [am] writing you cause I need you to take my dog, Shell,” she wrote. “My mother adopted Shell from Stray Rescue around 2009-2010…. In 2012, she had a massive stroke [and] now has Alzheimer’s. So in 2012 Shell came to live with me. 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 taking [sic] care of in a home with one person.”

“She is a very sweet girl. She’s been [through] a lot so she has trouble with trust in the beginning,” Crystal continued. “She loves to cuddle but don’t like to be carried. She’s very smart…In these days all I do is worry about what’s going to happen to her. I love this girl, she is my daughter.”

Crystal’s close friend and coworker Sharon Hyster-Harris said that she had beaten breast cancer many years ago, but the disease recently returned.

“I think she just decided she couldn’t deal with it anymore,” Hyster-Harris explained.

Many people offered to take in Shell after hearing Crystal’s story, and the shelter has just announced that the little dog has already found a forever home. We’re glad to see that Shell was able to find another forever home!