(CBS NEWS) – Fiona Apple is postponing the South American leg of her worldwide tour to care for her dog, whom she says is dying.

The singer made the announcement in a handwritten letter posted on her website. In the note, she reflects on when she first adopted her pit bull Janet, who now at 14 suffers from Addison’s Disease and a tumor in her chest.

“I just can’t leave her now, please understand,” Apple wrote. “If I go away again, I’m afraid she’ll die and I won’t have the honor of singing her to sleep, of escorting her out.”

She added, “I’m staying home, and I am listening to her snore and wheeze, and reveling in the swampiest, most awful breath that ever emanated from an angel. And I am asking for your blessing.”

The 35-year-old Apple asked fans to “meet a little while later” and plans to reschedule her South American appearances.

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