The late Shannen Doherty had specific wishes for her dog, Bowie.
On Saturday, July 13th, Shannen Doherty has passed away at her Malibu home after years of battling cancer. She was just 53 years old.
In addition to her indelible acting career and her speech during her years fighting cancerMany also remember Doherty as an advocate for dogs.
Shannen Doherty spoke specifically about her dog, Bowie, when expressing her final wishes.
Bowie was with Shannen Doherty until the end
In many Instagram posts, Shannen Doherty professed her love for her dog, Bowie.
Just a few months ago, the late actress celebrated her precious dog’s birthday.
Additionally, Bowie was one of those who was with her when she passed away at her Malibu home.
In January 2024, Shannen Doherty spoke on her own podcast about her final wishes. At the time, of course, she still expected to have years of life ahead of her.
During that specific period Let’s be clear podcast episodeDoherty expressed a wish for cremation.
Specifically, Shannen Doherty wanted her eventual ashes “to be mixed with” the ashes of her dog, Bowie, and her father.
Both her dog and her father feature in Shannen Doherty’s final wishes
“Like, really mix it up so it’s a healthy mix of my dad, me and Bowie,” Shannen Doherty expressed.
“I don’t want to be buried,” she then emphasized. “I want to be cremated.”
Her guest on the episode was Chris Cortazzo. Shannen Doherty also gave him permission to wear some of her ashes in a necklace — something she did in 2010 when her own father, John Thomas Doherty Jr., passed away.
Half a year later, Shannen Doherty passed away at home. Her family was with her. As was her beloved dog, Bowie.
To be clear, there’s no reason to believe that the longtime animal rights advocate was asking for her dog to die with her, as if she were an ancient king who buried his subjects alive in his tomb.
Instead, Doherty was clearly talking about her hopes for the future, knowing that neither she nor Bowie would live forever. And perhaps, at the time, she was optimistically imagining surviving her dog’s natural lifespan. She very much I didn’t want to die.
Despite her hopes, Shannen Doherty prepared for this
In April, Shannen Doherty was sorting out her worldly possessions. She also moved out of her Tennessee home.
His goal was to make things easier for his mother when she finally passed away.
Clearly, she still had hope that the promising treatments she was undergoing would be successful. It’s likely that her determination and optimism helped her live as long as she did.