Recovering from a substance use disorder, while challenging, can and should be a source of joy.
Sobriety goals include achieving peace, happiness, freedom, and connection to others.
Quality sober living homes are not hostile places. They aim to make sobriety preferable to relapse and work to make the homes hospitable and pleasant.
While it may surprise some that sober living homes often allow pets, most treatment programs understand that having relationships with animals can be a source of profound joy.
There is also a body of evidence indicating that pet-friendly sober living actually improves treatment outcomes for people suffering from addiction.
How Do Pets Help in Your Recovery Journey?
Having a pet in your recovery journey can help reduce stress and lower the risk of relapse.
Research shows that spending time with pets can make you feel calmer, lower your heart rate, and improve your focus.
Pets also help you connect with others and express your emotions, which can boost your self-esteem and relationships.
Benefits of Pet Friendly Sober Living Homes
Over the last few decades, animal interventions have become commonplace. Many classroom environments house pets to teach children important lessons about science, personality responsibility, caring, and love. Animals are used in hospitals to improve the morale and health of patients.
People with disabilities frequently make use of service animals to get through everyday tasks.
Research has shown that having a household pet during childhood reduces rates of mental illness over the course of a person’s life.
It should come as no surprise that residents of pet friendly sober living homes experience many of the same benefits.
Discipline
Taking care of an animal, whether it’s a dog, cat, parakeet, or fish, requires dedication and discipline, qualities that sober living homes work to instill in residents. While urging dedication and discipline in the abstract is often ineffective, presenting residents with an animal whose very livelihood depends on those qualities can work wonders.
When pet-friendly sober living homes have dogs, staff generally make sure that residents cooperate to ensure the dog’s needs are met. Residents generally share duties of feeding, grooming, and caring for the creature. This helps residents follow a schedule and learn consistency.
Acceptance
One of the primary reasons people relapse is because they are upset by circumstances out of their control. Part of the recovery process involves learning to accept what one can control, and not react to events that are out of ones control. Pets, even the most wonderful ones, are often frustrating. Your cat may scratch your favorite sofa. Your dog may pee on the carpet. Learning to love your pet despite its unpredictable behavior teaches acceptance, tolerance, and patience — qualities that help people throughout their lives.
Pets Help Residents with Each Other
Entering a sober living home can be a difficult transition initially. Developing connections with fellow residents and building a social support system is one of the most fundamental aspects of addiction recovery.
Pet friendly sober living homes allow pets and residents to engage in group activities together, such as taking a dog for a walk or playing with a ball. Sharing the responsibility and joy of a pet can present opportunities to bond with fellow residents.
Sharing the responsibility and joy of caring for a pet can present opportunities to bond with fellow residents, thereby enhancing the sense of community and support in sober living homes.
To further explore how this peer support and emotional sobriety play critical roles in the recovery process, check out these resources on peer support, emotional sobriety, and navigating sober dating.
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Tough days might come, but with our supportive sober community, you’re never alone. Whether transitioning from a rehab center or another sober living in Los Angeles, we’re here to help. Our success stories statnd testament. Contact us for a confidential chat and evaluation.
Greater Degrees of Selflessness at a Pet Friendly Sober Living
12-step-based philosophies of addiction treatment recognize that addiction stems from selfishness and ego. These programs aim to help people look outside of their own self-will for a solution, often urging members to rely on others.
The primary message of 12-step programs is that people who suffer from addiction achieve recovery most effectively by listening to and helping other people who suffer from the same condition.
Any activity that helps people look outside of themselves and care for others is therefore conducive to sobriety. Taking care of a pet that requires a high degree of care and love is an unselfish act that trains sober living home residents to let go of their own personal problems, ambitions, and fears.
Managing Pets in a Sober Living
While there are many sober living that allows pets, most set important rules and guidelines surrounding them.
Some pet friendly sober living houses do allow residents to bring their own pets from home, but the majority prefer to have a house pet that is cared for communally by residents.
Many sober living facilities that allow pets are also specific about which kinds of animals they will allow.
Animals who have not been declawed or spayed, untrained puppies, or enormous creatures are often banned.
It should also be understood that pets are the responsibility of residents.
If residents fail to train, clean up after, or show loving behavior to animals, sober living homes reserve the right to deny residents access to pets.
What are rules for Pets in Sober Living?
The pet-friendly sober living rules typically include the following criteria:
- Pets must be spayed/neutered.
- Pets must be over a certain age (e.g., over 6 months old).
- Pets must be non-aggressive with no history of aggression or violence.
- Pets must be housebroken.
*There might be other rules which you can find out in detail while speaking to the admissions specialists.
These rules ensure the safety and well-being of all residents in the pet-friendly sober living environment while allowing the benefits of pet companionship to enhance the recovery experience.
Finding a Pet-Friendly Sober Living Near Me
To find a pet-friendly sober living home, you can follow these steps:
- Research: Look for sober living homes that explicitly mention their pet-friendly policies on their websites or in their promotional materials.
- Inquire Directly: Contact the sober living homes you are interested in and ask about their pet policies, including any restrictions or requirements for bringing a pet.
- Visit the Facility: If possible, visit the sober living home in person to see if it is pet-friendly and assess the living conditions for both you and your pet.
- Ask for References: Request references from current or past residents who have had pets in the sober living home to get firsthand feedback on their experiences.
- Consider Allergies: Be mindful of potential allergies among residents and inquire about how the facility manages residents with pet allergies.
- Understand Rules and Regulations: Familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations regarding pets in the sober living home, including any fees or deposits required.
- Evaluate Amenities: Assess the amenities available for pets in the sober living home, such as outdoor spaces, pet-friendly areas, and access to pet care services.
