- Our next story is about the close bonds we share
with our dogs.
I love dogs.
You have two dogs, right, Cathy?
- Yes. - You have two.
I have one, Henry,
and he is better than every human I know.
(audience laughing)
Um, sorry, humans.
For anyone who's had a dog,
you know they hold a unique place in our hearts.
For people suffering from addiction,
who've hit rock bottom,
sometimes their pup is the only living being
still giving them unconditional love.
So much so they'll refuse to go to rehab
if they have to leave their best friend behind.
Our next guest is removing that hurdle
for hundreds of addicts in Texas
in an amazingly creative way,
that makes him a rad human.
(upbeat music) (audience clapping)
Alright, everybody, from 'Dogs Matter',
meet Steven Knight along with his beloved dog, Jade.
(audience applauding)
Hi, Jade, you're so cute.
I just wanna snuggle.
So let me introduce you to Cathy.
Say hi.
- Hi, nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- Well, before we talk about Dogs Matter,
can you take us back?
You went through addiction battle yourself, right?
- Yeah.
So I pretty much had been numbing myself
since about the age of 18,
you know, with weed and alcohol.
And then at the age of 35, I found crystal meth
and that took me down.
Yeah, it was,
it was a really hard, hard trip.
I spent 15 years on the drug
and I lost everything,
and I ended up like, you know, losing my job.
I ended up getting arrested.
My family, it was the hardest thing to see my family,
watch my family watch me go through it
and get arrested and go to jail.
And, you know,
there's the shame and the guilt of it
was so just tremendous that it kept me on it.
And my rock bottom wasn't the homelessness that was,
the rock bottom wasn't anything,
but the rock bottom was my mother
that wouldn't take my phone call from jail.
And that just destroyed me, and so.
- 'Cause it probably destroyed her to hear about it.
- Yeah, exactly.
She ended up writing me a letter saying, please get help.
You know, I know this is the hardest thing
you're ever gonna do,
and she's my best friend. She was my best friend.
And that moment was my clarity,
it's like, I'm gonna go to rehab.
And 10 years later I'm sober, and...
- That's amazing.
(audience applauding)
That's amazing.
That tough love is hard.
That's hard, like being a mama
that would be so hard not to take the call,
but well, when did you get Jade?
Hi, Jade.
- So, miss Jade here is,
so I went to 60 days in rehab
and then I did three months of an outpatient program
and I was living in Sober Living.
And one night I got a knock on the door
of a friend of mine who had relapsed,
and she was a heroin addict and she just,
she had this little dog with her,
and she said, "I don't know what to do with my dog.
I need more help.
I got to go into treatment,
and I don't want to have to surrender her."
And I thought to myself,
well, first of all, I looked her in the eyes
and she's like, pick me.
You know what I mean?
- I do know what you mean.
You know what, people think we're crazy,
but they look you dead in the eyes
and you see it sees your soul.
- Yeah, exactly. - I love it, yes.
- It's spiritual. It's very spiritual.
- I'm telling you, you think I'm nuts but it's real.
- Yeah, well, so many times these dogs are neglected
with addicts and they literally, they're,
she was saying help me in a way, and plus...
- Now she's saying, "Look at me, I'm on Kelly Clarkson."
- Exactly.
(audience applauding)
- You've made it.
- So she's the reason,
she is the reason why I started Dogs Matter.
And she's the reason why I stayed sober
because the first years were really hard.
It's very lonely.
You're trying to, you know, deal with your issues,
your mental health, your meds,
and you know, your family.
And it can be really lonely
and to wake up and be responsible for this little thing,
made a huge difference.
It had that aha moment.
That clarity moment of like, uh-oh,
I think I've found my purpose of my new life.
I want to try this.
- It's a beautiful moment. - Yeah.
It was just like the aha moment,
and put together really small little program.
We did 20 dogs the first year,
and now we've done over 500 dogs.
- Wow!
(audience applauding)
So you make sure that the dogs get the love they need,
but you also ensure the clients get the support they need
as well, right? - Right.
- So yeah, the dogs go to very amazing foster homes
that we love, we're so appreciative of.
And then we work with the client, you know,
what they do is they sign over temporary rights to us
in a contract, it's usually 30 to 90 days for rehab.
And then what we do is
after they complete it and they're ready,
we reunite the dog,
but that's where it starts though.
When you get out of rehab
is where all the work starts, you know?
In rehab, you're kind of safe in there.
So we have a really great program
called our Aftercare Program
where we stay with them for 12 months after rehab.
And we give them supportive services.
They have a recovery coach who's like a life coach.
And then I'm a substance abuse counselor
so I work with them on counseling.
- Man, what an example you are. Wow.
Well, it must be incredible when people, you know,
finally get to reunite with their dogs, right?
They, I,
just from like being away from my dog,
we went to New York for a week,
I came home and I was like, "oh!"
Like all over my dog. So that must be incredible.
- Yeah. So, yeah,
I mean, that's what keeps us going.
- Oh my God, look at the tail.
- That's what keeps us going, the reunions,
you know, these people, they, you know,
they wanna change their life
and they didn't have to give their dog up.
And it gives them hope.
And I mean, we cry every time.
You know, it's just so amazing.
- That's so great.
(audience applauding)
So this unique organization
not only fosters dogs for addicts
when they choose to go to rehab,
they also motivate them to stay sober.
And now I want to introduce you to Camille
and her dog, Harley.
Hi.
(audience clapping)
Harley is ready to go, ready for action.
(Camille chuckles)
You turned to Dogs Matter in, is it 2016?
- 2016. - 2016 when you entered rehab.
So what was that whole process like?
- So, I had two boxers then, Harley and Rocco.
At that point,
I had already literally lost everything in my life,
my family and my kids.
(Camille whimpers)
And so, when I contacted Steven,
I wasn't really willing to let them go, you know?
It was literally all I had.
- Yeah, it's so much loss.
- Right. - Yeah.
- So, I wanted them to be together
'cause they were brother and sister,
had been together since they were puppies.
And Steven made that happen.
I remember being on the phone with him
and he made it really clear to me that, you know,
basically if I didn't get sober and get healthy,
that I wasn't gonna get my boxers back, you know?
And that really put it in perspective for me.
And so, they went to Dogs Matter
and I went to California to treatment,
and he took care of them the whole time.
- Wow. So, well, congratulations,
'cause it's what, is it five and a half years
that you've been sober?
That's amazing.
(audience applauding)
It's really amazing.
So what was it like when you were reunited
with Harley and Rocco?
- Well, it was after about four or five months I think.
And they were in Texas.
And so we found a nonprofit
that would transport them here
because I didn't really want
to put them on a plane by themselves.
And so I remember going
and looking at them through the truck,
and I could tell they could see me,
but when they got back down out of the truck,
we just, I mean, they were all over me.
And God really blazed a trail for me to get sober.
And Dogs Matter was like at the very beginning
of that trail, you know?
So, I was telling them earlier,
like I could literally write a book on all the blessings
that I've had in these five and a half years,
but it started with Stephen and his organization.
I wouldn't have what I have today without them.
- Wow.
(audience clapping)
- She's the reason why we do Dogs Matter to,
this is the reason why we do it.
When people, you know, take advantage of the program
and get their life together,
we always say, "We'll take care of your best friend
while you take care of yourself."
- Right.
Wow. Well, it's funny,
like we were talking in the commercial break,
I have many friends actually sober now,
and they have animals who, you know, think about it,
like Cathy you knew friends that you've,
that have been through, that have animals.
I've never really thought about that.
Like what do they do if they don't have family, you know?
- Well, the first thing they do is
they use that as a crutch.
- Yeah.
- And kept prolonging and...
- Yeah, it's all the time.
And I work in the industry.
And so that's one of the main things
that we hear probably, I would say 50% of the time,
like I have dogs, you know,
I can't leave my dogs.
- But we didn't have any place in LA like you have.
- Yet, yet.
- That's what I'm saying, it's such a brilliant thing.
- It's brilliant. - Yeah.
- Yeah. - It's wonderful.
- Absolutely.
All right, well, I have a bit of news to share.
I'll let you hold Jade.
I think Jade's missing you.
We're not the only ones moved by your incredible mission.
Steven, have you heard of the company, Carlotz?
Who hasn't heard of Carlotz?
- Yeah, of course, yeah.
- Well, Carlotz is a leading consignment
to retail used vehicle marketplace
and they believe in
and want to support the communities they serve,
which includes Dallas.
So they're donating $10,000 to Dogs Matter.
(audience applauding)
So you can expand to help more people and pups in need.
Not bad, not bad.
So it's about to get even better.
Carlotz knows the right vehicle can change lives.
So they're also giving you a custom wrapped,
2019 Ford Transit van.
(audience applauding)
- No way.
(audience applauding) (upbeat music)
Oh my God.
- Yes!
It's outside right now
and my good friend, Lawrence Zarian
is gonna give us a tour of your custom new ride.
What's up, Lawrence?
- Hey Kelly, this is so exciting.
Now, Steven, check out your new van
with a totally cool custom wrap.
It says, Dogs Matter.
We take care of your best friend
while you take care of yourself.
- No way.
- How cool is that?
And Stephen, I just want to tell you this,
that your story means so much to me personally,
because I've been sober for over 16 years.
(audience applauding)
And I, like you, put the sword down
because I was done fighting.
And from the bottom of my heart,
it's because of people like you,
that constantly remind me that I am not alone
and that we are on this journey together.
(audience clapping)
And I want to thank you, Kelly,
for letting me be a part of this amazing story.
Now, hold on for one second.
I just need you guys to pause.
No, no, not wait, pause.
I need to show you. Come here.
Look at the very cool doggy paws.
(audience laughing)
- It's our logo. - How cool is that?
- I love it.
- It's our logo.
- I cannot wait for you guys to come and see your new ride.
So why don't you come out and join me here
so we can talk about doggies, your new van,
and everything.
(upbeat music)
- All right everybody, we're back,
and as you can see,
Steven and Camille and their dogs
are checking out their new van with Lawrence Zarian.
(audience applauding)
So, Steven. Steven what do you think, man?
- I am beyond happy, grateful.
This is amazing.
This is gonna be all for us to get more dogs,
pick them up and serve more dogs. Save more lives.
Thank you so much, Kelly.
- Oh, awesome.
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
It's truly a beautiful organization.
Thank you.