Minnesota Offers Free Pet Foster Care During Addiction Treatment

For someone battling addiction, a beloved dog or cat can be the only reason to get out of bed in the morning. Now a Minnesota program ensures those bonds don't have to break when someone seeks help.

The Bond Between, a local animal rescue, offers free temporary foster care for pets while their owners complete addiction treatment programs that can last up to 90 days. The organization just partnered with Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation to connect more people with this lifesaving resource.

"I just think there's so many people out there that love their pets, and they are in a critical situation, and a lot of the reason they keep going is because they have the pets," said Rachel Mairose, founder of The Bond Between. "In those situations, the worst thing we can do is ask them to give up a family member."

The program started in 2024 and has already helped over 110 animals, with a 95 percent reunification rate. Twenty percent of their respite clients are currently working through addiction treatment in the Twin Cities.

Hazelden staff will now be trained to share The Bond Between's contact information when potential or current patients cite pet care as a barrier to treatment. Some people choose lower levels of outpatient care instead of needed residential treatment simply because they have nowhere to leave their pets.

"Oftentimes, pet care is what gets people out of bed in the morning," said Lydia Burr, Hazelden's executive director. "Sometimes, all they have left is their pets, and that's what's getting them going during the day."

Mairose's first respite case was an unhoused man whose Boston Terrier gave birth to puppies in his car during winter. She cared for the dog family for 60 days while he worked overtime and secured housing.

"That reunification was like the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Mairose said. "She was crying in her little Boston Terrier way, and he was sobbing." The man now has a fiancé, a house, and six pets.

The Ripple Effect

Foster volunteers like Leia Simon make these reunions possible. She's currently caring for Stella, a one-year-old French bulldog recovering from being spayed. Simon has fostered for The Bond Between for 10 years, but Stella is her first respite case.

"If it's giving an animal a place to go so its owner can take care of themselves, all those things feel really good to me personally," Simon said.

The organization covers all costs, including food, supplies, and vet care. Each foster placement costs about $500, and they often return pets in better health than when they arrived by catching up on missed veterinary care.

The Bond Between aims to double their caseload to 200 respite animals within the next year, helping more people choose recovery without losing their family members.