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A pair of Vancouver Island healthcare workers have teamed up to launch Recovery Tails Society, an organization providing free pet care for those seeking mental health and addiction treatment.
Kayleigh Busch and Priya Sharma, both front line workers with Island Health, help people experiencing issues with mental health and addiction find treatment.
The pair say over the years they noticed a reoccurring barrier for those entering treatment programs.
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“That was individuals who were ready and motivated to enter mental health and substance use treatment programs, they would have to delay or decline their bed date last minute because they didn’t have anybody that could take care of their pet,” Busch said.
Sharma adds over the last decade of working in the field, she would see this happen at least once every couple of months.
“A lot of the times they’re not even seeing treatment, life saving treatment, as an option because there is no way that they can find support for their animal at that time,” Sharma said.
So the two launched the Recovery Tails Society, providing free pet care for those entering treatment programs.
“Our mission is to empower individuals to seek recovery without compromise and we want to take away the barrier that revolves around the pet. Just the worries and anxieties that comes with owning a pet and being away from them,” Busch said.
She says those looking for someone to take care of their beloved pets can reach out to the society for help.
The pets are then assessed by both Busch and Sharma before being matched with a foster family for the length of the treatment program.
“We have 16 foster volunteers that have signed up in the last week,” Sharma said.
There are currently four pets in their care including both cats and dogs.
“We have had people reach out to us asking if we could take on their snake, we have a bearded dragon that is currently needing a foster placement. So if we are able to support, we definitely will,” Busch said.
Pet care is free for the entirety of the treatment program.
The only thing pet owners are asked to provide is enough food for their pets stay, however the society hopes to change that once it becomes more established.
Recovery experts say this organization is filling a major gap in addictions support.
Mike Manhas, founder of Rewired Recovery and SoberFest, says it can be difficult to find pet care when entering treatment as recovery programs can run for several months.
He says many people suffering with addiction have lost contact with friends and family members, making their pet their only stable relationship.
He says many people end up denying treatment because they don’t have anyone to take care of their pet, or surrendering their animal, which is what he did with his dog.
“I remember coming out of treatment just being crushed that the one, the one person that just went through everything with me, my highs my lows, was now gone,” Manhas said.
“I already felt bad enough that I’d let Finnegan down through my addiction and now I was even letting him down more by abandoning him.”
Shelley Shadow, recovery coach with Still Here, says she just recently went through this with one of her clients.
“She found herself in a position where the only friend she had left was her dog and she was just not willing to give that dog up for anything, even though she recognized I need to go to detox,” Shadow said.
“There can be so many obstacles and hurdles for people to access recovery, to just initiate it. So I was so delighted to see [Recovery Tails Society] come across my feed.”
Both Shadow and Manhas believe the society will encourage more people to seek out addictions treatment because they know their pets will be taken care of.
The society is looking for more foster families and donations to help break the barriers holding people back from starting their recovery journey.
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