Simon Rubick had seemingly lost everything after decades of alcoholism and drug addiction.
In 2022, he found himself without a vehicle and without a home, which forced his two teenage children to go live with friends. He had burnt countless bridges with friends and family, and it took a drug-induced stint in the hospital for him to realize his addiction to crack cocaine was going to be a “death sentence.”
Rubick, who lives in 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 dog, Tonks.
Most residential rehab centers in the United States don’t allow patients to bring along their pets, said Rubick, 51. So he thought he would have to make the excruciating decision to give Tonks up after his brother could no longer help with the dog’s care.
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 for people going through treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, as well as those dealing with domestic violence and mental health crises.
“People that are trying to get into recovery sometimes have lost their families, their children, any kind of support system that they have had. … So when you’re looking at going into treatment and what the options are for you, 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,” said Serena Saunders, program manager and founder of the organization.
PAWsitive Recovery, which was formed in Denver three years ago, has helped more than 180 people and their pets so far and is looking to expand nationally after it recently became a part of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International, said Saunders, whose own experience with drug and alcohol addiction has helped tailor the program.
Saunders, whose mother was schizophrenic and addicted to methamphetamine and whose father also struggled with addiction, said she had a “pretty broken childhood.” She sought comfort in alcohol when she was about 12 and was using harder drugs by the time she was 14.
Saunders, now 41, was seeing a therapist for her depression and PTSD when a fortuitous session planted the seeds of PAWsitive Recovery. With a background in veterinary and shelter medicine, which focuses on caring for homeless animals, she told her therapist she wanted to incorporate her love of dogs in her recovery.
And that’s what she did, said Saunders, who fostered Tonks for several months while Rubick was in treatment and facilitated visits between the two best friends.
Saunders, who has been sober for 3 1/2 years, said it’s an amazing feeling to see someone who is broken by drugs and alchohol turn their life around.
That sentiment is echoed by the organization’s volunteer foster families, some of whom are drawn to the program because of their own addictions.
Denver resident Ben Cochell, 41, who has been sober from alcohol for more than seven years, has two dogs of his own and has fostered several more.
“You can find a temporary, loving home, and that way you can get the help you need and continue on your journey, or at least get a good start,” he said.
If not for PAWsitive Recovery and fosters like Cochell, 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 in a way.
“It’s that connection, caring for another creature and having something else care for you the way that animals do,” he said. “It’s just unconditional, and sometimes that’s one of the things that people in recovery really need to be able to feel.”
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