Tails of Recovery

Addicts and the Pets That Love Them
Author: Nancy A. Schenck

Tails of Recovery is a collection of poignant and moving stories from recovering addicts about how the unconditional love of their pets brought them from the horrors of active addiction

For the past twenty-five years, professionals have been making amazing discoveries concerning pets, animals, and the treatment of disease.  They have found that while a pet can be a good friend, a close partner, and a comforting companion, it can also lower your blood pressure and heart rate, ease anxiety and stress, lessen depression, and have an impact on other illnesses in myriad ways.

When used therapeutically, pets have been shown to help many people, including recovering addicts, with issues of honesty, control, anger, hostility, trust, and self-esteem, as well as experiencing the healing power of unconditional love.  Tails of Recovery is a narrative examination of the disease of addiction, its effects on the pets in addicts’ lives before and after recovery, and how pets aid the recovery and healing process.