Shannen Doherty continues to inspire people by documenting her breast cancer journey on Instagram and recently found inspiration in others to pursue a mission close to her heart.
The 45-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed alum was all smiles Saturday at the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation's 1st annual Gratitude Gala, which she attended with husband Kurt Iswarienko. Doherty hosted the event, which raised funds for the charity, whose 2017 goals include trying to stop dogs from being slaughtered for meat in South Korea.
Doherty, an animal rights advocate and dog lover, opened up to E! News about her health battle.
"I just thought, I was doing something that was beneficial, maybe to myself and others, and maybe through that journey we could all learn something," she said about her Instagram posts. "I learned a lot from my fans who follow me and my cancer family who post and tell me about their journey."
Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and has documented her battle on Instagram. She has undergone a single mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which she finished earlier this year and which marked the last of her most difficult cancer treatments.
Doherty's loved ones, including her husband and mother, have helped support her through her battle, as has her dog, Bowie.
"My baby, she cuddles with me, she knows when I'm sick, she knows when I'm depressed," the actress told E! News. "She knows everything."
As she continues to recover, the actress hopes to spend time helping animals. During her interview with E! News, she talked about her work with the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation and its founder Marc Ching.
"Marc gave me such inspiration and such strength. When I was sitting there getting chemo, sick, throwing up, just like, 'How am I gonna get through this?' I would see what he was facing and the good that he was doing and what he was bearing witness to and I thought, My God, I have to get better because I want to go on this journey with him and I want to help him. I want to go on one of his trips. I want to help this man educate and shut down the meat market. I want to be a part of his life and his wife's life," Doherty added, getting emotional. "What they do is so beautiful."