Fostering & After Care

for pet owners in recovery

A Department of

Our Mission

To provide and promote a safe and healthy environment for pets of recovering addicts and alcoholics.

RECOVER

  • Dogs Matter offers a safe and healthy environment for our client’s dogs while they are seeking inpatient treatment, and if necessary, until they are healthy and stable enough to take care of their dog again.

    The choice to hand over a dog, even if temporary, is often the single biggest objection a dog owner has who is facing an extended in-patient treatment program for alcohol or substance use disorder. Over 90% of pet owners consider their pet part of the family. So, knowing their dog will be cared for in a safe and loving foster home eases any added stress allowing our clients to focus all their energy on healing.

    For more information on our foster care service for your dog please fill out a Temporary Surrender Application.

    LEARN MORE

  • A healthy relationship with their dog can be an important part of our client’s recovery after they are discharged from treatment. However, it is a very serious commitment.

    Dogs Matter provides a 12-month After Care Program led by a certified peer recovery coach. Our program follows our clients and their dogs after their successful completion of treatment and reunion with their dog. We provide regular follow-up calls, local check-ins, recovery resources in the community, assistance with vet appointments, medical expenses, rent deposits, and food as necessary to ensure a safe and healthy environment while staying clean and sober.

    For more details on After Care, email us at info@dogsmatter2.org.

  • Albie to the Rescue

    I’ve been sober for one year today (updated December 13, 2020). I didn’t think I’d ever be able to say that. It’s something I honestly had begun to believe was not possible for me. I’ve spent the last seven years trying to get sober, yet finding myself caught on a nonstop, nightmarish merry-go-round of relapse, rehab, and, if I was lucky, a couple months of sobriety outside of a locked treatment center. I had acquired all the knowledge I needed to stay sober, but was missing the most important piece of recovery: participating in a program where I continuously replace my long held beliefs for a new way of seeing my life and experiences. There have been many ups and downs, days more beautiful than I’ve perhaps ever had, and days I had previously thought would be too painful to experience with a sober mind. Through the grace of something that is beyond my human conception, along with more help from others than I could’ve ever asked for, I finally have been able to string together enough days to get to the place I’m at today.

    Dogs Matter and the people who are involved there has been one of the sources of help that has meant so much to me and my recovery. If it weren’t for them, I honestly don’t know if I’d still be here. When I first got sober, I barely had the desire to live, and I certainly wasn’t motivated to do the work necessary to maintain sobriety. At least, not for myself. The only reason I had to keep going was my dog, Albie, and the people in my life who would be utterly devastated should I fail to get better. And I knew that not choosing recovery was the same as choosing death. Dogs Matter not only took amazing care of Albie while I was in treatment, they also believed in me and believed that I could recover, even though I really didn’t believe it myself. Being the dog mom that Albie deserves was enough motivation to get me through the first few months of recovery.

    I’m just so grateful to have been given this chance, and I am so blessed to be able to use my experience to help others who are struggling just like I used to struggle. Thank you, Dogs Matter. I’ll be sure to do whatever I can to help others just like y’all helped me.

FOSTER

  • Please fill out the following information if you’re interested in fostering a dog through Dogs Matter. The length of our foster care commitment varies widely based on each client’s situation, but typically 30-90 days.

    Dogs Matter is a Department of Dallas Pets Alive. You will be redirected you to our application on the DPA website. Please Note: It can take up to 48-72 hours before we’re able to respond. Thank you for your willingness to open your home and foster with us!

    SIGN UP HERE

  • If interested in fostering, please email tag@dallaspetsalive.org to let us know which pet you are interested in fostering with the animal’s name. It is also helpful to include: 

    • Whether this pet is a dog or a cat in your email or subject line 

    • Any questions you may have about this pet prior to fostering 

    • Estimated availability to pick this pet up. A member of Dogs Matter team will reach out to coordinate transportation and handoff of the pet.

    • The Medical Team will review all medical records received and send a medical needs list. 

    • The foster will receive check-ins from the welcoming team. The foster will be expected to decompress their foster and send updates on behavior and pictures to the foster team at foster@dallaspetsalive.org

    • We will share updates from the foster family to the pet's owner while they are in treatment and recovery.

  • Meeting another dog. Helping another person gain recovery. Helping the dog stay out of a shelter and hopefully helping to get and keep their owner sober and happy. I just feel like this whole experience is a calling for me. I can be of service, and take care of my favorite animals. Give them a soft place to land for a little while.

    The supplies, and the support I have received being a foster has been much better than some of my previous foster experiences. I think it's been fantastic.

    Being a part of the reunion of the owner and my foster dog is pure joy.

CONTRIBUTE

  • Volunteering with Dogs Matter can take a variety of forms beyond fostering— including working at local events, helping raise awareness in the community and online, transportation service, dog walking, training and socialization time, grooming, medical care, food and supply donations, and training other volunteers on how to support our mission.

    We could not do what
    we do without you, so please consider helping by volunteering your time or services to make a lasting difference in the lives of our dogs and their owners.

  • Dogs Matter hosts a yearly Bark In the Park in Austin, Houston and DFW. You can contribute to the success of our events by becoming a local and/or statewide sponsor. As a sponsor, you and/or your business will receive recognition not only at the event, but on our website, in social media, on merchandise, and throughout the year.

  • Donations are always needed, appreciated, and accepted! Dogs Matter relies almost exclusively on private donations to further our mission. Our biggest expenses include medical care for the dogs we rescue and resources that allow us to provide new foster homes for our client’s dogs. Without your generous gifts, we would not exist.


    Dogs Matter is a 501(c)(3) exempt nonprofit organization, EIN 46-2768869. Your donations are always tax-deductible.

    Other ways to give:
    Venmo – @dogsmatter
    PayPal – @dogsmatterdallas

    You can also mail checks to:
    Dogs Matter
    4347 W. Northwest Hwy.
    Ste 130 #118
    Dallas, TX 75220

RESCUE. REHAB. REUNITE

RESCUE / Dog Recovery: Dogs Matter offers a free, safe and healthy environment for our client’s pets while they are seeking inpatient treatment.

The choice to hand over a pet, even if temporary, is often the single biggest objection a pet owner has who is facing an extended in-patient treatment program for alcohol or substance use disorder. Over 90% of pet owners consider their pets part of the family, so knowing their dog will be cared for in a safe and loving foster home eases any added stress allowing our clients to focus all their energy on healing.

REHAB / Human Recovery: Our primary purpose is ensuring the welfare of the pet and their owner — reuniting them once our client has successfully completed treatment and is ready to be a healthy and responsible pet owner again.

Several research studies have been conducted showing evidence of how a companion animal or pet can help a person manage their mental health, which goes hand in hand with addiction. Dogs specifically can help to reduce loneliness, create social opportunities, lower blood pressure, and provide a sense of purpose in a seemingly hopeless situation. 

REUNITE / Aftercare Program: Our 12-month Aftercare Program helps ensure our clients and their pets remain together in a safe and healthy environment while staying clean and sober.

After reuniting, Dogs Matter is here to lend a helping hand with a certified peer recovery coach for check-in calls, and visits if necessary. We provide access to additional resources to help ensure that newly recovered individuals have a safe and secure environment for themselves and their pets to navigate the transition to a healthy post-treatment lifestyle while staying clean and sober.

Dogs Matter began services in 2015. Executive Director, Stephen Knight, founded the program based on the need he experienced while working in the field of addiction treatment as a Substance Abuse Counselor. Many clients that needed help would have nowhere safe to place their pets while they received in-patient drug and alcohol treatment. Addiction eventually destroys all relationships, and the client is left with only their pet. Our premise is that if a client knows their pet will be safe and cared for while they are seeking treatment, the client stands a much better chance of focusing on themselves and getting the help they desperately need. 

Dogs Matter’s first year of services in 2015 resulted in saving 20 dogs. Our second year we grew over 100%, serving over 40 dogs and their owners. In 2017 and 2018, Dogs Matter continued to grow and served over 60 dogs and their owners. During this time, we also implemented our Aftercare Program which follows clients after treatment for a minimum of 12 months to help support their first year of staying clean and sober and keeping the pt healthy. Dogs Matter has served over 1700 pets and their owners since 2015. Dogs Matter predicts continued growth in 2025.

Becoming a department of Dallas Pets Alive! brings numerous advantages, notably a more robust infrastructure that allows us to focus our efforts on program development and implementation. By leveraging the resources and expertise of Dallas Pets Alive, we can enhance our impact and extend our reach within the community.

Despite this structural change, our core values and mission remain unchanged. Our commitment to providing a safe and healthy environment for dogs of addicts and alcoholics, our dedication to supporting both humans and animals in their journey to recovery, and our unwavering focus on reuniting families and finding forever homes for every dog under our care remain steadfast.

This change offers an exciting opportunity for growth and collaboration that will enable us to better serve our clients and their beloved pets. Together with Dallas Pets Alive, we look forward to continuing our mission of making a positive impact in the lives of both humans and animals in the DFW community.