INDIANAPOLIS — The Progress House added a new employee named Daisy on Thursday. But Daisy isn’t just any employee, she’s a golden retriever and service dog.
“They’re giving us a gift that I think for 12, 15-years is going to have an impact on our residents,” Darrell Mitchell, executive director of Progress House, said.
Daisy was given to the recovery center by Fairway Independent Mortgage through the American Warrior Initiative.
"It’s been one of the best things that has happened to me in my life," Brandon Drake, a recovering alcoholic, said.
Drake started at the Progress House a month and a half ago.
"I did everything. I’m an opioid addict too," Drake said. "My family was drug addicted, so I was drinking beer and smoking weed at three. It's been a long journey."
Drake says the program has taught him discipline and given him a new outlook on life.
“Last night it was me by myself in the kitchen and it was meditative. I didn’t know I liked those things. I didn’t know me being alone doing dishes, thinking about life would fulfill me,” Drake said.
Drake and the other resident’s path to healing will now include Daisy. The Progress House says she’s the first therapy dog assigned to a recovery residence.
“Having a dog who’s able to offer them joy, closeness and make them smile and feel comfortable. These are guys who may not have been comfortable for a while,” Mitchell said.
For more information on the Progress House, click here.
