They Tried to Make Me Go to Rehab, I Said Woof, Woof, Woof
Here's a great idea for people faced with choosing between rehab and keeping their pets. The following article from the Denver Post describes a program working for Colorado and maybe, now or soon, in a city near you:
"Simon Rubick had lost almost everything to decades of alcoholism and drug addiction.... Rubick, who lives in the Denver suburb of Arvada, Colorado, knew he needed help. But first he had to figure out what to do with one of the only sources of unconditional love and support he had left: his beloved German shepherd rescue, Tonks.
"Most residential rehab centers in the United States don’t allow patients to bring their pets along, said Rubick, 51. So when his brother could no longer help care for the dog, Rubick thought he would have to make the excruciating decision to give up Tonks.
"Rubick — who has been sober for more than two years and is now an addiction recovery coach — was connected to the group PAWsitive Recovery, which fosters animals while their owners receive treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, and for people dealing with domestic violence or mental health crises.
Simon Rubick, and Tonks (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
"'People that are trying to get into recovery sometimes have lost their families, their children, any kind of support system that they have had,' said Serena Saunders, the organization’s program manager. 'You’re not going to compound trauma that you’ve already had by giving up the one thing that hasn’t given up on you, and that’s people’s animals.'
"Saunders founded PAWsitive Recovery in Denver three years ago. Since then, it’s helped more than 180 people and their pets, and Saunders said the group has looked to expand nationally after it became a part of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International. The organization, whose largest foster network is in Colorado but accepts applications nationwide, is one of just a few programs in the U.S. that cares for the pets of people seeking treatment for substance abuse....
"If not for PAWsitive Recovery, Rubick said he probably would have ended up living on the streets with his dog and trying to figure out recovery on his own. But as it turned out, by being able to keep his rescue dog, Tonks ended up rescuing Rubick, he said.
"'It’s that connection, caring for another creature and having something else care for you the way that animals do,' Rubick said. 'It’s just unconditional, and sometimes that’s one of the things that people in recovery really need to be able to feel.'" (https://www.denverpost.com/2024/09/01/pawsitive-recovery-pets-rehab-foster-animals/)
Check with ASPCA to see if there is a PAWsitive Recovery program near you, or to start your own foster program for dogs and owners in need. See https://www.spcai.org/our-work/pawsitive-recovery
Saunders founded PAWsitive Recovery in Denver three years ago. Since then, it’s helped more than 180 people and their pets, and Saunders said the group has looked to expand nationally after it became a part of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International. The organization, whose largest foster network is in Colorado but accepts applications nationwide, is one of just a few programs in the U.S. that cares for the pets of people seeking treatment for substance abuse.
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