The Impact of Addiction Reaches Beyond the Individual
When Substance Abuse Affects the Animals We Love In a recent KESQ News Channel 3 feature, MAPDA advocate and veterinarian Dr. Lisa Bane shared what she has witnessed while working with families affected by addiction. When substance use interferes with a person’s ability to recognize or respond to an animal’s needs, pets can experience serious […]
When Substance Abuse Affects the Animals We Love
In a recent KESQ News Channel 3 feature, MAPDA advocate and veterinarian Dr. Lisa Bane shared what she has witnessed while working with families affected by addiction. When substance use interferes with a person’s ability to recognize or respond to an animal’s needs, pets can experience serious neglect, even when their owners deeply love them.
Dr. Bane described one case involving approximately 20 to 25 dogs, many of them puppies, living in unsafe conditions without adequate food. The animals eventually required veterinary care. Her experience illustrates an aspect of substance abuse that is rarely discussed: addiction can affect not only the individual, but every living being that depends on them.
Dr. Bane also believes this connection can be an important prevention message for young people. Understanding how substance use can eventually affect the people and animals they love may offer another powerful reason to make healthy choices.
For MAPDA, her story reinforces why prevention and awareness matter. The consequences of substance abuse reach far beyond one person, and protecting families means recognizing everyone who can be affected.
Read the full story from KESQ News Channel 3