A couple of weeks ago, something really amazing happened. I was sitting in my recovery home group when a woman walked into the room. It took me a moment to figure out why she looked familiar, and then it clicked. It was Snickers’s mom.
I motioned for her to sit next to me, and sharing that meeting with her was one of those quietly powerful moments that stays with you. Afterward, we talked, and she told me how she had settled into her sober living, was attending meetings every day, and had even asked another woman to sponsor her.
The woman in front of me was completely different from the scared and overwhelmed woman who dropped Snickers off with me just a few weeks earlier. Her transformation reminded me of the miracle that happens in addiction recovery where the light slowly turns back on after a long time in the dark.
There is something that happens in recovery that is almost impossible to describe. The chaos and fear of those early substance-free days begin to fade, replaced by clear eyes, steady hands, and a calm sense of hope. Watching that change unfold is nothing short of miraculous.
Because of the Wonky’s House community here in the Coachella Valley, Snickers’s mom is able to attend meetings freely, sleep in a clean and sober living home, and focus completely on rebuilding her life. None of this happened because of one single person. It happened because a community came together and made recovery possible.
The sober living that connected her with us.The donors who supplied Snickers’s bed, crate, food, and toys.The foster who opened their home and heart to provide temporary dog foster care while her mom entered treatment. And Snickers’s mom herself, because recovery cannot begin until someone is willing to accept help.
Programs like Wonky’s House support families in recovery by giving people the chance to seek help without fear of losing their dog. Our mission is simple but deeply important: to offer recovery support for pet owners, especially those entering treatment or sober living homes who need someone to keep their pets safe.
That willingness to seek help is one of the bravest decisions a person can make. And once it happens, recovery creates a ripple effect that touches every life around it. Emotional support through pet care is powerful, and giving someone the peace of mind that their dog is safe can truly change the course of their recovery.
This moment reminded me that what we are building at Wonky’s House is far more than a place that cares for dogs. It is a lifeline for people in recovery, a community support system, and a bridge that makes healing possible for both the dog and their person. Together, we are making recovery possible, one family at a time.
Love,
Wonky & Hail