Dogs Matter: How Temporary Foster Care Helps Keep People and Their Pets Together During Recovery

By Kendall Jang, Staff Writer

For many people entering inpatient treatment for substance use disorder, one heartbreaking question can become a barrier to getting help: Who will take care of my dog?

For individuals who have lost housing, become isolated from family, or are rebuilding their lives, a pet may be their closest companion. The fear of surrendering or abandoning that companion can cause people to delay—or avoid—life-saving treatment altogether.

That's where Dogs Matter comes in.

Based in Dallas, Texas, Dogs Matter provides free temporary foster care for the dogs of people entering inpatient drug and alcohol treatment. Rather than forcing owners to choose between recovery and their pet, the organization ensures dogs are cared for in loving foster homes until their owners complete treatment.

But their support doesn't stop there.

Once clients leave treatment, Dogs Matter continues working with them through a 12-month aftercare program that includes recovery coaching, check-ins, and connections to community resources. The goal is simple: help people stay healthy, keep pets in loving homes, and prevent unnecessary owner surrenders.

Since launching in 2015, Dogs Matter has helped more than 1,700 pets and their owners stay together during the recovery process.

Programs like this highlight an often-overlooked connection between animal welfare, housing stability, financial hardship, and human health. When communities remove barriers that prevent people from seeking treatment, they not only improve outcomes for individuals, they also keep beloved pets out of shelters and with the families who love them.

Innovative programs like Dogs Matter demonstrate that supporting people and supporting animals often go hand in hand.

Get Involved

1. You can support unhoused people and pets across the US by completing our action alert for the Providing for Unhoused People and Pets (PUPP) Act. The PUPP Act would establish a grant program for homeless shelters to access the funds they need to support clients with pets. 

2. If you are looking for a pet-friendly homeless shelter, temporary boarding or a safe haven in Ohio, please check our Statewide Directory for resources near you.

3. Share this story and action alert with friends!

4. Subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive animal welfare related news and resources in Ohio straight to your inbox.