human-animal bond
My dog helped me more with my problem drinking than AA.
By Vivienne Vermaak, journalist, philosopher, and public speaker
As a journalist and TV presenter, I have climbed Kilimanjaro. I have arm-wrestled Maasai warriors, rowed across Lake Malawi, and bungee-jumped from Victoria Falls. These are all insignificant compared to the trip I took in my back garden with my Jack Russell. The specklebellied hound helped me overcome my drinking problem more than Alcoholics Anonymous( AA).
Why AA doesn’ t work for everyone
AA helps many people, but not all. It is estimated that only about 14 % of people who join AA remain sober for more than five years. We blame booze, but most of the time the fault lies in poor human relationships. It’ s easy to blame the bottle because it’ s such a clear and convenient demon. A more complicated reality is that the drunk is often someone who doesn’ t know how to give and accept love. And sometimes it takes a dog to teach people that.
I have a ridiculous dog. Her name is Bonkie. She’ s noisy, barky, scratchy, grunty, and farty. But she’ s also wonderful. She is a life coach who specialises in the gift of reciprocity.
I never wanted this dog. Bonkie spent years as an outside dog with another abandoned canine. They had terrible fights. I, a hard drinker at the time, tried to intervene with aggression and force. The household was an open wound of terror, blood, and anxiety. When the sister dog died of tick-bite fever, it led to a flashpoint.
The night everything changed
Bonkie, an outdoor dog, went berserk. She sat at the door day and night, letting out the most blood-curdling wails. She wanted
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