Colleen Anne Dell, PhD 2025-02-25 12:02:16
To the Editor:
In June 2023, Dr Peter Butt and I published a commentary in The Canadian Journal of Addiction, urging for recognition of the role of companion animals in addiction recovery. We defined recovery as a broad, inclusive term and emphasized the emerging research evidence for the beneficial role of people’s relationships with nonhuman animals. Since then, there have been key empirical and practice-based developments in the Canadian substance use health field that our team has been involved in. Here, I highlight 3 for the addiction profession to consider.
First, Canada’s standardized national policies for mental health and substance use service delivery were released in September 2024. I would like to draw attention to 2 mentions of animals in the report. First, the report acknowledges that not all client support systems are recognized (ie, connection to animals or the land), which can exacerbate individuals’ health care outcomes (p. 4). Second, the report specifically mentioned animals in the context of “family and caregivers,” stating: “[f]or some, support may also come from companion animals/pets that are considered by many as family members and as a part of their support system (e.g., non-judgmental listener) and system of care (i.e., visit a therapy dog in their treatment facility).”
Second, in response to criticisms and the limited state of research on the role of animals in recovery, our team published a scoping review and narrative analysis in October 2024 in the Human-Animal Interaction journal. We analyzed 32 identified sources to explore what is currently known about the role of the human-canine bond in recovery from a substance use disorder among adolescents and adults. We focused on dogs—service dogs, therapy dogs, emotional support dogs, and pet dogs—due to their longstanding relationship with humans and their integrated role in families today.
Affiliation: University of Saskatchewan, One Health & Wellness, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Canadian Centre on Substance Use & Addiction, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the Animal Awareness for the Substance Use Workforce course, and scoping review and narrative analysis article, mentioned.
The author declares no conflicts of interest.
Corresponding Author: Colleen A. Dell, PhD, Department of Sociology & School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, 9 Campus Drive, Room 1109 Arts Building, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada.
Tel: +(306) 966-5912; Fax: +(306) 966-6950.
E-mail: colleen.dell@Usask.ca
Copyright © 2025 by the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine
DOI: 10.1097/CXA.0000000000000231
We found that interacting with dogs can allow opportunities to improve clients’ mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health in ways that are often harder to accomplish through interactions with people. Specifically, dogs can act as a source and facilitator of social connection, have calming and comforting effects, and be a motivation for change and recovery. These findings suggest that “the human-dog bond may help divert substance use-related thoughts and reduce cravings, bolster engagement in treatment and recovery, and help to decrease and prevent substance use” (p. 1). A brief podcast of the paper is available.
Third, our team has compiled the latest research and practice in the animals and recovery field into an online course offering, titled “Animal Awareness for the Substance Use Workforce.” This course introduces learners to the role of animals in recovery and the wellness journey, evidence supporting the human-animal bond or connection, various animal roles and interventions, therapeutic benefits and concerns, and ethical and professional considerations for incorporating animals. Learners are also provided with an opportunity to generate and share ideas for practice integration in a corresponding workbook. This asynchronous, 5-hour online course offers preapproved continuing education credits from select organizations (eg, Canadian Addictions Counsellors Certification Federation) and a digital badge/certificate from the University of Saskatchewan.
Please make an effort to expand your understating of the role of animals in addiction recovery, because everyone deserves animal-aware care.
REFERENCES
1. Dell, C, Butt, P. Recognizing the role of companion animals in addiction recovery. Can J Addict 2023;14:6–8.
2. Standards Council of Canada. The Mental Health and Substance Use Health Standardization Roadmap. Prepared by the National Mental Health and Substance Sue Standardization Collaborative. Standards Council of Canada; 2024.
3. Dell, C, Kosteniuk, B, Doi, C, et al. The role of the human-canine bond in recovery from substance use disorder: a scoping review and narrative synthesis. Hum Anim Interact 2024;12:1.
4. Human-Animal Interaction, APA Division 17, Section 13 2024. Colleen Dell. Accessed November 5, 2024. https://www.human-animal-interaction.org/podcast/colleen-dell/?fbclid= IwY2xjawFsuWFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHeK5X9CfKSGMlqlJSGXLY- 30aNPkzi338aRMvhFqP2XQLSVFPa2OFqhKg_aem_tAxop nVnRJ8MVDJZ7EFMwg
5. Daschuk, M, Dell, C, Roma, R. Animals Awareness for the Substance Use Workforce. University of Saskatchewan; 2024. Accessed November 5, 2024. Online course, Available at https://colleendell.com/animal-awareness-for-suw
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