Our Mission to Support Recovery

On September 29, 2022, I found myself drunk, in an emergency room, covered in blood, stitches in my head, and in deep trouble at work. I was faced with one option: enter treatment immediately. I had nowhere and no one available nearby to keep my dogs while I was gone seeking lifesaving, life-affirming, life-changing medical treatment for my serious alcohol addiction.

Alcohol had already stolen my mother from me after a lifetime of watching her slowly die from this disease. So, the decision was easy, but the logistics were impossible. Thankfully, my sister drove across the country to bring my dogs and my adopted feral cat to Arizona from Florida to stay with my godmother and sister for 30 days.

These acts of kindness and generosity were pivotal in my life and recovery, and I have begun the journey of repaying this gift given to me by providing the same care for those in need, specifically our little beloved furry family members who stand by us through our illness and support us in our recovery.

Paya's Place is inspired by Payasa, a little border dog who has her own rock-bottom journey to a better life and was an enormous source of comfort and motivation for me in my recovery as she waited for me while I was busy getting better. The blessing I received allowed me to rest easy in my recovery, and I hope to help support others in similar circumstances.