Animal Keeping and Abuse In Light of Different Types of Substance Abuse Among Pet Owners

Abstract

The Thesis looks into the negative consequences for pets with owners suffering from substance abuse and also into the positive effects pets have on humans in therapy from substance abuse, or on their owner in the same situation. Drug and alcohol misuse has a negative effect on personality, lifestyle and resources, and it will affect family and pets. On the other hand, owning a pet in this situation can help the owner in maintaining a routine when having an individual to love and care for. Meanwhile, using pets as a part of psychotherapy is proven to be helpful, and should be introduced to standard therapy protocols where suited. The first part of this thesis is a collection of literature, and later on results from an original survey made by the writer are discussed.