Get ready to meet our Mascots! In honor of our one-year anniversary, we gave careful consideration to the best way to celebrate. Earlier this year we had so much fun making our Sober Curators magazine cover mock-ups, we thought what better way to celebrate our one-year anniversary than to celebrate it with our fur babies?!?!?! Plus, it was a fun excuse to create magazine covers of our four-legged friends (and one special fish) that have been by our side through all the ups and downs of the last year. Sobriety combined with a global pandemic has been challenging, to say the least. For many of us, it would have been that much harder without our furry companions.
For those of you who have seen 28 Days with Sandra Bullock, either in rehab or at home, you are likely familiar with the theory that single people in early recovery should start with a plant, then upgrade to a dog, before entering into a relationship with another human. We’re not here to tell you whether that’s sound advice or not, but we are here to share what we’ve learned from being in relationships with our pets.
Reasons Why Pet Ownership is Great for People in Recovery
In the early years of recovery, it can be a full-time task just to take care of ourselves, let alone other living creatures. However, pets can be an essential source of comfort and support. Let’s examine the reasons why getting a pet can be beneficial to your recovery journey.
- Pet ownership cures loneliness! Working on human relationships can take its toll. Fur babies love you unconditionally!
- They don’t judge you (except maybe if you cheap out on their treats)
- Pets help you develop your own sense of self-worth and self-esteem
- Let’s get physical! Pets need exercise, just like you do, which means they will help keep you active.
- Ice breakers! Pets facilitate social contact. People love animals and you might find yourself making new friends at the park or when you’re out for a walk.
- Fills your time productively. Pets need constant attention and love, which means you won’t be left with too much free time on your hands to get into trouble.
- Pets get you out of your own head. When you’re focused on taking care of your pet, you have less time to worry about yourself and the unmanageability that you might be facing.
- Teaches Commitment. Pets are a huge commitment and the payoff is worth it. They love you unconditionally and that feels pretty great. That said, before getting a pet, make sure to understand all of the expenses, time, and energy that come with responsible pet ownership. Pet ownership isn’t for everyone and shouldn’t be a decision you make impulsively.
- Pets reduce stress. In many cases, pets can reduce stress. What’s more calming than cuddling up with your four-legged fur buddy and binging on Netflix?
- Keep you on a schedule. Pets, just like kids, do best when they follow a schedule and regular routine. If you’re new in recovery, you may not be great with keeping to a regular schedule. Pets are good at training humans.
- LOVE LOVE LOVE Did we mention the unconditional love?
Here Comes the Sober Curator PETS Parade!
Meet Roxie & Bella – Owner Sober Curator Alysse Bryson
1.) How did your pet(s) come to be in your life?
Roxie is my son Jakob’s dog and we got her when she was three months old. After six months, we decided we needed to get a dog for the dog because we simply couldn’t wear Roxie out. Bella was a rescue we found on Craigslist and we aren’t exactly sure how old she is. We think they are three or four years apart in age and we are always being asked if they are related. Roxie drives Bella nuts, but she tolerates her and on occasion reminds her who the real boss is.
2.) How does your pet(s) enhance your life in recovery?
Roxie and Bella are my main bitches. We do everything together. Seriously, I can’t even use the restroom without them following me in there or shoving their paw under the door to get my attention if I do manage to lock them out for some privacy. The three of us are happiest after a long walk along Lake Sammamish, where we live.
3.) What’s something funny or unique your pet(s) do to crack
you up?
Boston Terries are clowns by nature. Roxie is obsessed with her toys and she will drag them all over the house, making our living spaces look like a daycare. Bella can’t be bothered with toys, but she has been known to hide her dog bones in places she thinks Roxie won’t think to look. They are the cutest when they are asleep and snoring.
4.) Was there a time that you got really mad at your pet(s)?
It was a few months after we’d brought Bella home and I left them both out of their crates because we were only going to be gone for “a few hours”. They basically threw themselves a raging party, destroying plants, knocking over the garbage can, and dragging our dirty clothes all over the house. I was LIVID. For like an hour and then those cute little faces won me over…again.
5.) Does your pet(s) do any tricks?
Is eating treats a trick? No, my girls can sit when asked, assuming they aren’t distracted by something. And if they get too excited, there is no chance that they will “sit” or “stay”. Roxie is the QWEEN of Tug-of-War. Bella loves to stand up tall on her hind legs and stretch out her big belly.
6.) Any other fun facts?
When little kids see Bella and her black and white spots (and very large nipples, Ahem), they think she is a baby cow. Roxie makes sounds similar to the ones a Gremlin would make when it’s being cute. If you pet one dog, you have to pet the other dog. Jealousy is a real thing in our house. Oh yeah, and their farts can clear a room. Seriously. Sometimes they go darting out of the room for seemingly no reason, only to quickly realize they’ve just dropped a bomb and are saving themselves. You can follow them on IG at @lilbossybitches.
Meet Bruce Wayne, Chico, and Bam Bam – Owner Sober Curator Analisa Six
1.) How did your pet(s) come to be in your life?
Bam Bam was a gift from my husband because he knew I had always wanted a puppy. Bruce Wayne was a gift from my husband’s Mom after our 10-year-old Boston Terrier, Blue, passed away from liver failure. Chico the fish was rescued in May of this year from Petco.
2.) How does your pet(s) enhance your life in recovery?
Once my Bam Bam entered our lives and required a level of attention, due to his spaztic puppy nature, I began finding myself preferring to be home with him, rather than going out all the time. I would say this was the first step toward me building a more wholesome lifestyle. Being responsible for other living creatures’ health and happiness made me realize how toxic my behaviors had been.
By the time we got Bruce Wayne, I started gravitating towards working with dogs professionally, and it was through a big career change into dog walking that I found my sobriety. Being responsible for not only my own pets, but other people’s pets, had me rethinking whether I wanted to wake up hungover every day. I also began to care about my reputation in my community and whether I was someone people would respect.
Another attribute of having dogs and working with them was that I began to spend more and more time outside in nature. This started to become a grounding force for my anxiety and depression. I found my time with animals in nature to become a better coping mechanism than getting wasted. My animals really help keep me active. I enjoyed the weight I was losing, the way my body started feeling healthier, and the way my mind felt when I could think clearly. I do feel my dogs, and the dogs I have worked with, are the reason that I have been able to maintain my sobriety.
Chico the fish has been a nice addition this year, as he has opened me up to a whole new world of fish keeping that has become a pretty fun hobby over the last 6 weeks.
3.) What’s something funny or unique that your pet(s) do to crack you up?
My pets keep me entertained daily.
4.) Was there a time when you got really mad at your pet(s)?
I would say for my doggos, the first few years of their life were pretty hard. Bruce developed a lot of behavioral issues at the 1-year mark, and I would say he pissed me off pretty regularly with resource guarding and reactivity/aggression issues. He gets into fights with Bam Bam occasionally over space, and that is always frustrating. It’s better now that they are older and we have a bigger space we live in. Space has helped a lot.
5.) Does your pet(s) do any tricks?
Both Bruce and Bam Bam know the following tricks:
- Paw (shake)
- Other Paw ( shake with the other paw)
- Play dead
- Puppy toll ( which means they have to kiss us for a treat or toy)
- Touch ( a targeting technique)
- Toad in a hole (Bruce puts his face through a hole we make with our hands and it’s hilarious)
I learned that Betta fish and be trained so I have been trying to train Chico to follow my hand as well as a “go in your log” cue. He has a floating log, and often when I tell him to go inside of the log he will!
6.) Any other fun facts?
If you are in recovery and do not have a pet, I highly encourage you, if you are able to, to adopt/rescue a pet in need and educate yourself on the ways to properly care for it, even if it’s a fish! Having another living being to actively take care of can be such a grounding and positive experience when you are in recovery. Having someone to come home to regularly who gives you unconditional love, there’s nothing better. I feel when it is hard to find faith in humanity, we can find it in the animal and plant kingdom.
Meet Violet Sky and Magnus Stark – Owner Sober Curator Lane Kennedy
1.) How did your pet(s) come to be in your life?
We went to a big dog show and low and behold my husband found himself on the floor with the Giant Breed, I knew right then we had a Big Dog in our future and he had literally said we are not getting a dog anytime soon! We have two Irish Wolfhounds a female, named Violet Skye, and my baby boy who is just now six months weighing in at 90 pounds, named, Magnus Starke. Violet was hard to find, these dogs are not easy to get, the breeders are particular with lots of questions about your space and lifestyle, at least that is my experience. Magnus Starke was an Instagram find!
2.) How does your pet(s) enhance your life in recovery?
In every way! Dogs create the cuddle effect, which increases oxytocin which creates a happy person, a happy family, happy recovery. Magnus my baby boy has cracked another layer of love open which creates more space in my life.
3.) What’s something funny or unique that your pet(s) do to crack you up?
Violet squeaks, literally. I don’t know if it’s a breed thing or just her… I have yet to hear Magnus do it so I think it’s a Violet thing, she does it when she wants our attention, or help with something like opening a door. She talks to us in so many ways, she’s pretty amazing.
4.) Was there a time when you got really mad at your pet(s)?
NOPE!!!! Not even after she chewed the incredibly pricey, artwork living space rug. She and he are perfect in my eyes, my husband sees it differently!
5.) Does your pet(s) do any tricks?
If you think lying on your back in a twist is a trick then, yes. This move is special to them.
6.) Any other fun facts?
I’m a mindfulness and meditation teacher and when Violet was young I started training her to meditate with me early in the morning. She now waits for me and is ready to go every day! I’m now training Magnus to meditate with me which is a totally different energy, he’s a bit of a wiggler and he’s so much bigger… but we are working on it! You can follow them over on Instagram at @violetandmagnus
Meet Declan, Davey Jones, and Keone – Owner Sober Curator DJ Missing Mei
1.) How did your pet(s) come to be in your life?
Declan (my first dog) was a birthday present. Keone was a Xmas present to wifey. Davey Jones started living full-time with me 2 years ago.
2.) How does your pet(s) enhance your life in recovery?
They bring innocence, joy, and cuddles. They give unconditional love even when you are feeling your worst.
3.) What’s something funny or unique that your pet(s) do to crack you up?
I speak to them in full sentences, not really knowing otherwise. So instead of sitting, they respond better to “What do good boys do?!” Declan and Keone are full of personality and make the funniest faces.
4.) Was there a time when you got really mad at your pet(s)?
It’s hard to get really pissed off at them. But maybe really upset when especially Declan is acting out and pees where he is not supposed to. I blame myself for that because I kept him on the pee pads too long when he was a puppy.
5.) Does your pet(s) do any tricks?
Declan and Keone can give you a high five, Declan also can play his string on a ukulele or guitar. I’m also teaching them how to count. We are up the number three.
6.) Any other fun facts?
Declan and Keone are half brothers, and Davey Jones’s tongue always hangs out. The brothers, aka the ‘Bash Brothers”, are my fuzzy babies so I had to give them full names!
Meet Theodore Whiskers Lamb aka Teddy – Owner Sober Curator Justin Lamb
1.) How did your pet(s) come to be in your life?
After the heartbreaking loss of my best friend and feline Biscuits, (orange tabby picture attached), we weren’t sure we were ever going to be able to get another cat. It felt like a replacement or something and the unavoidable guilt that came with that thought prevented us from even looking, but when sadly searching the local shelter, we saw his tiny little face. He was only ten weeks old. The day after Thanksgiving, 2018, We got Teddy!
2.) How does your pet(s) enhance your life in recovery?
Teddy is a cuddle machine and a listener. He even talks back a lot. Sometimes it’s just random cat noises, but once in a while- wait, no, it’s always random cat noises. He’s a talker, for sure, though.
3.) What’s something funny or unique that your pet(s) do to crack you up?
Teddy almost always sleeps with both his paws out in front of him. No matter how he starts to fall asleep, he will end up the same way. See pictures.
4.) Was there a time when you got really mad at your pet(s)?
Teddy is a tall, lengthy cat, so he wasn’t super keen on having a covered litter box when he got full grown. He showed this by consistently taking a dump right in front of the litter box until we finally figured it out and took the cover off.
5.) Does your pet(s) do any tricks?
Up until the burnout of having us humans home all the time during COVID, Teddy played fetch. We have little foam golf balls we would throw upstairs down the hallway. Teddy would chase after them and grab them in his mouth (adorable) and bring them back to the stairs, dropping them and waiting for you to throw them once again. It’s freaking adorable!
6.) Any other fun facts?
Cuddle them early and often. Teddy is the most dependent cuddly cat in the world and my wife attributes this to us always having him on our laps when he was a teeny baby kitten.
Meet Kylo – Owner Sober Curator Tyler Matheny
1.) How did your pet(s) come to be in your life?
I adopted Kylo when I was six months sober from Austin Pets Alive. He’s still very much a puppy at heart and my best friend.
2.) How does your pet(s) enhance your life in recovery?
Kylo became my online meeting buddy during the pandemic. Anytime I had a meeting he’d post up under my feet or if he heard something interesting would jump up on my lap to see what was going on. Having a pet is a wonderful experience he truly has become an extension of our family and the best frenemies of our cat Bevo.
3.) What’s something funny or unique that your pet(s) do to crack you up?
Kylo does an amazing butt-wag dance when he hears certain words like “treat” or “outside” even if he’s in a dead sleep. It’s my favorite thing to watch him do besides chase balls and lightning bugs.
4.) Was there a time when you got really mad at your pet(s)?
I call Kylo the $5,000 rescue dog because when he was 11 months old he swallowed a small rubber ball that belonged to one of my kids which required surgery. It was really scary and didn’t piss me off but made me realize just how much I’d come to love him.
5.) Does your pet(s) do any tricks?
As a dog owner, I failed in spectacular fashion to train him effectively where all he has mastered is sitting and lying down. However, he has learned to shake hands which I love.
6.) Any other fun facts?
Early recovery for me was lonely at times as I changed my people and places and so having a four-legged fur baby to hang out with made it way more bearable.
Meet Dixie Lou – Owner Sober Curator Lauren McLaughlin
1.) How did your pet(s) come to be in your life?
Dixie Lou came to me about 3.5 years ago after a year of being pet-free. I lost my first “recovery dog” and needed time to heal. I started looking around at different adoption agencies and saw her picture one night and said to myself I would just go there later the next day and see if she was available. She was the CUTEST PUPPY. So I went and she was available and 2 days later I brought her home. 4 comforters, 6 pillows, and 3 rugs later she is a fantastic addition to my life.
2.) How does your pet(s) enhance your life in recovery?
She keeps me accountable. I have something that I have to do every day, take care of her. She is the BEST cuddler and knows when I am having a bad day and need to be quiet and she knows when I need more activity and gets me out walking.
3.) What’s something funny or unique that your pet(s) do to crack you up?
Dixie is the ultimate sidekick. She is a constant in most of my videos on social media. Her claim to fame is that she just lays there and rolls her eyes while I dance in my housecoat, she gives no mercy with her side-eye. Also, she can go from lying down to my face in one jump. She is a Jack Russel/Boxer/Bulldog mix so she’s got hops.
4.) Was there a time when you got really mad at your pet(s)?
Dixie takes forever to do a number 2. If I am running late she of course cannot find the exact right spot to do her business so I get super frustrated which in turn makes her move even slower which makes me even later to wherever I am supposed to be. . So it’s a win-win for all, LOL!!!
5.) Does your pet(s) do any tricks?
She knows to sit, stay, up, down, and shake. She is your average puppy, there will be no mensa membership for her.
6.) Any other fun facts?
I honestly don’t know where my recovery would be without my dogs. Dixie is a handful (read: Jack Russel mix) but I always know that she loves me and relies on me unconditionally. I swear she reads my mind when I am having a bad day and knows to just lay next to me and cuddle and when she does that my world feels safe.
Sober Curator Fun Fact: I had a gender reveal cake for my dog.
A Disco Ball is Hundreds of Pieces of Broken Glass, Put Together to Make a Magical Ball of Light. You are NOT Broken, Friend. You are a DISCO BALL!
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
