Tails of Recovery: Addicts and the Pets that Love Them

ForeWord Reviews

Journal of Addictive Diseases

You pick this book up and the first thought that comes to mind is "Random acts of kindness." Of course, kindness and love from pets is anything but random. . .but this volume is a random act of kindness in the sense that most of what is published in the addiction field is scientifically top-heavy and often falls short when it comes to matters of the heart.

On the other hand, the use of pets in therapeutic settings such as inpatient rehabilitation programs and long-term care facilities is a rapidly emerging phenomenon. We already know from human studies that pets have a significant calming effect on patients and pet lovers alike, and these effects include significant reductions in blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels and overall increases in measures of well-being.

This book is short, readable, and important, too. Schenck apparently suffered the loss of her best dog friend when she was 15 years old. At that point, she took a nose-dive into drug addiction that lasted years and almost took her life. Since then, she has been in recovery and wrote the current text as an exercise in both grieving and in returning to her life's work: editing and publishing.

The book is put together nicely, seasoned with personal anecdotes, photos, and short but factual articles on the many aspects of "pet therapy" and companions. Better yet, Schenck has clearly succeeded in transcending her grievous loss by putting together a brief but highly effective book that will help thousands of others who struggle with addiction, loneliness, and lovelessness.

Those who work with drug-dependent individuals will find this a pleasant reminder that therapy and the road back to health sometimes includes unconditional love, such as freely offered by man's (and woman's) best friend.

— Nick Tartagliano

The Journal of Addictive Diseases

TAILS OF RECOVERY: ADDICTS AND THE PETS WHO LOVE THEM. Nancy A. Schenck.
Central Recovery Press, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2009, 173 pp, ISBN: 978-0-9799-8696-3.

You pick this book up and the first thought that comes to mind is 'Random acts of kindness.' Of course, kindness and love from pets is anything but random . . . but this volume is a random act of kindness in the sense that most of what is published in the addiction field is scientifically top-heavy and often falls short when it comes to matters of the heart.

On the other hand, the use of pets in therapeutic settings such as inpatient rehabilitation programs and long-term care facilities is a rapidly emerging phenomenon. We already know from human studies that pets have a significant calming effect on patients and pet lovers alike, and these effects include significant reductions in blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels and overall increases in measures of well-being. This book is short, readable, and important, too. Schenck apparently suffered the loss of her best dog friend when she was 15 years old. At that point, she took a nose-dive into drug addiction that lasted years and almost took her life. Since then, she has been in recovery and wrote the current text as an exercise in both grieving and in returning to her life's work: editing and publishing.

The book is put together nicely, seasoned with personal anecdotes, photos, and short but factual articles on the many aspects of 'pet therapy' and companions. Better yet, Schenck has clearly succeeded in transcending her grievous loss by putting together a brief but highly effective book that will help thousands of others who struggle with addiction, loneliness, and lovelessness. Those who work with drug-dependent individuals will find this a pleasant reminder that therapy and the road back to health sometimes includes unconditional love, such as freely offered by man's (and woman's) best friend.

Nick Tartagliano
Director, Dapper Dogs Center
Nyack, NY 10960

— Nick Tartagliano