I’ve struggled with drug addiction for 20 years and have never had a solid 6 months of sobriety in all that time. I had been drowning for so long, never seeing that I had an option to swim to shore I was on an island all alone.

My dog Bandit’s reality was he never got much food or a safe place to sleep. He had hot nights sleeping out of my car and being walked with 3 feet of shoelaces because I could never keep up with where I put his leash. His nails were so long that I know it had to have been painful for him to walk. For months I carried a pair of dog clippers in my purse, and I had the ability to take care of my dog’s poor paws, but the insanity of addiction is that we let the things that should matter the most to us fall to the bottom of the list. 

I knew I needed to seek treatment but never bothered looking much into it because there was no way I was going to lose my best friend, Bandit.
 
With the help of my sister, GOD and the universe seems to have played a hand in connecting me to Dogs Matter. Dogs Matter showed up for me so that I could get the help I needed. It was a gift to be able to focus on myself and my recovery knowing Bandit was in good hands.
 
I received updates and pictures to ease my mind before I would even reach that point of worrying. It’s like they knew exactly what I needed to feel relief. For the first time in my life, I was determined not to give up. I was motivated to get my dog back, get my life back, and earn my family’s trust back. Dogs Matter has been a lifeline for both Bandit and me.
 
They have helped me totally judgment-free to where my eyes can now focus on the things in life that truly matter. I am forever grateful to Taylor, Stephen, Lisa, and all the people behind the scenes at the organization.

Oh, and that island I had feared being deserted, it wasn’t.