People seeking addiction treatment and support are being forced to choose between their pets and their health, a B.C. charity is warning.
Paws for Hope, a group that provides support to low-income people and their pets, says since early 2023 it has been forced to turn away nearly 150 people seeking a temporary foster for their pet so that they can access drug treatment.
Executive director Kathy Powelson said without somewhere safe to leave their pets, many people are delaying or foregoing that critical treatment.
“It's devastating. It is the hardest part of our job because we're on the phone with somebody who's in crisis, and there's nowhere for us to send them,” she said.
“So we know when we hang up the phone, that there's a person and an animal that's suffering, and there's no help for them.”
Many shelters in the Lower Mainland offer a two-week compassionate foster service, Powelson said, but most drug treatment programs last about 90 days, meaning people are forced to consider giving up their pet or delaying or foregoing help.
Christie Stanforth, who has battled addiction for three decades, said she delayed accessing treatment for over a year because of fear about what would happen to her cat Nala.
“She saved my life. The bond between her and I was huge. She got me through so much I couldn't even fathom the idea of walking away from her,” she said.
“She knew when I would be sad, she would come up and she would, like, put her nose on my cheek and like, kind of rub up against me. They just know.”
Stanforth said she understands why treatment facilities can't allow pets, including issues with allergies or liability.
But with no safe place to leave Nala, she found herself in a dangerous place, both physically and emotionally.
“I relapsed. I went back into my depression. Got worse. I was using a lot more,” she said.
“I was afraid to leave the house. My personal hygiene became an issue. My desire to want to function as a human being, everything got progressively worse.”
Mark Foreman, director of client services for Tri-Cities outreach and recovery society Hope for Freedom, has seen the challenge firsthand.
Many potential candidates for treatment at his facility meet all the key criteria but run into a roadblock because of their pet.
“At that point, our hands are tied … we don't have any resources for that. They won't give their pet up,” he said.
“We tell them just keep calling in. And we reach out to a few people that we know to see if they're willing to take the pets. But doesn't happen very often.”
Foreman estimates his group has to turn away between 10 and 30 people every year because of their pets
He believes stable access to a safe place to leave their pets while people are in treatment would be a “game changer” that saves lives.
Powelson's group does provide foster services for up to six months but doesn't have enough resources or foster homes for the number of people seeking help. Outside the Lower Mainland, she said there are essentially no other options.
Paws for Hope is calling on the province to recognize pets as a part of people's families and include them in its funding decisions for social services.
It is also looking for provincial funding to expand its own foster services both in the Lower Mainland and elsewhere in B.C.
“Pets are family. And for many people, particularly people who are experiencing crises, sometimes that pet is their only companion and it is the most important thing in their life,” she said.
“They will not make decisions or they make decisions based on the outcome for their pet as well as themselves … we need to have the resources to expand so that families aren't left behind and people aren't dying because they aren't getting addiction treatment.”
In an email, B.C.'s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said it gets funding requests and proposals from numerous organizations, who it said can apply for a variety of provincial grants.
“Although it is not possible to provide support to all organizations seeking financial assistance from the government, we are grateful for each person and organization for dedicating their time, energy, and expertise to mental health and addictions work in B.C.,” it said.
Stanforth was ultimately able to pursue treatment when she was able to leave Nala with an ex-partner but said having someone to care for her pet earlier could have saved her a lot of pain.
“I would have gotten into treatment a lot sooner,” she said.
“The thought of surrendering her and giving her up permanently, that was not an option. I just love her too much.”
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