Pet-Friendly Rehab Los Angeles: How to Find the Right Place for Addiction Treatment

Pets are Part of Your Family

Not only are pets an essential part of your day — cheering you up or excited to see you at home — they are usually the glue that sticks a family together. They can help when emotions are intense and feelings are hurt. They are always there to comfort you in hard times and there when you just want company.

Even though pets aren’t human, they are very capable of sensing human emotions and the shifts that can happen throughout the day or week. Since they are a part of the family, it’s as hard to leave them alone when you go on a trip as it would when leaving a relative or friend. 

The important role pets serve in your family is why sometimes it’s better for both the owner and the pet if you just take them with you to rehab. Pets are known to be our biggest support system, so it’s invaluable to have them with you during addiction treatment to help you through some of your hardest days or months in rehab.

What Do I Do with My Pets During Addiction Treatment?

It can be quite confusing for your pets when there’s a drastic change in the routine they do with you every day. It’s important to remember they don’t have the capacity to understand why you’re not as playful and why you’re not around as much.

Addiction treatment is a huge change not just for you, but for them as it impacts their routine and how long they see you each day. The best thing to do with your pets during addiction treatment is to put their needs first as this is a huge change for them. You need to figure out the best plan for them that will make them the most comfortable.

Some of the options you can do with your pets during addiction treatment are:

• Boarding facility: Choose a local boarding facility for your pet that is reasonably priced but also has the creature comforts your pet needs to adjust to a new place. This is the best option for pets that can easily get used to being around other animals and get along with them as well as with strangers. 
• Petsitting: This option is for pets that need someone they know well enough to take care of them. If your pet is more reserved and less likely to trust strangers and be around other animals, this is a good choice for them. 
• Live-in petsitting: This option will cost a little more money, depending on how long you will be in rehab. This person who takes care of your pet will be staying at your home to make the environment as much the same as possible. 
• Pet-friendly rehab: When choosing a rehab for your addiction treatment, find facilities in your search that allow pets to stay at the facility with you. This might come at a cost but if this is ultimately the best option for you and your pet, that kind of comfort is worth the cost.

Are Los Angeles Rehabs Pet-Friendly?

It depends on the rehab you choose, but when searching rehabs it’s important to look up the keywords for your criteria. Since Los Angeles is a big city that has many pet-friendly public places for pet owners, it’s possible and easy to find a list of rehab centers that offer this specific amenity and exclusive offer.

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— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) January 12, 2023

Depending on the Los Angeles rehab, there might be more specific criteria for you to guarantee your pet is allowed in the facility during addiction treatment, but if your pet is a registered emotional support animal or documented therapy pet, then they can’t turn you and your pet away. Some specific criteria they might ask for if your pet isn’t a registered therapy pet or emotional support animal include the animal’s weight and size, breed or type of pet, etc. Of course, there are also exceptions with animals that are too large, wild, or more aggressive around people and other clients’ pets. 

Some rehabs in Los Angeles offer a way for clients to bring their pets. They recognize and realize how hard rehab can be without some sort of support or a sense of normalcy from their life that gets taken away when attending rehab. These rehabs are open-minded and know that there are many benefits to allowing pets into their rehab facility. Some of the benefits are providing comfort and love, reducing the burden of stress, providing company when lonely, and being the internal motivation for you for wanting to get better for your pet.

7 Things That a Pet-Friendly Los Angeles Rehab Should Offer

There are specific amenities you should look for when trying to find a pet-friendly rehab in Los Angeles. Some of the things they should have include: 

1. Enough room for your pet in the bedroom you are given
2. The flexibility of bringing your pet to therapies and treatments that are given by the rehab center.
3. A service from staff members to watch and check in on your pet if you choose to leave them in your bedroom.
4. The security of being able to lock your bedroom door if you are leaving your pet inside and not taking them with you during your treatment.
5. On the days that you might not be feeling well enough to get out of bed, someone from the facility comes in to also care for your pet with feeding, walking or cleaning up.
6. Specific amenities for pet owners in the rehab — water bowls around the facility, for example, or treats when the pet isn’t disturbing anyone.
7. If there’s a fee to bring your pet, it shouldn’t be a steep fee over $50, especially if you paid for your pet to be a certified emotional support animal or therapy animal.

Achieve Recovery and Keep in Touch with Your Pets at Resurgence in Los Angeles

Starting the path to sobriety can seem hard, but with your pets by your side, it won’t seem as daunting. There are so many benefits and motivations for you to bring your pet to rehab and help you on your journey to recovery. Resurgence Behavioral Health understands the need and the positive side effects of letting a pet be by your side during addiction treatment. It won’t only benefit you with the emotional support but it will also allow your pet to spend the time that it wouldn’t be able to if the facility didn’t allow pets. 

Your comfort and need for support are the top priority for Resurgence Behavioral Health. At Resurgence, the lengthy process can feel never-ending, but the perk of having a pet by your side makes it feel much more manageable. The goal is to make you as comfortable as possible — and that includes financially, too — which is why we offer a place for your pet to stay while you get the help you need for 30, 60, or 90 days for recovery. 

If you or a loved one are struggling with drugs or alcohol and didn’t think rehab was possible because you own a pet, please give us a call today at 855-458-0050 to learn more about our pet-friendly rehab.

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

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