From Rock Bottom to Rescue: Zach Skow's Journey of Sobriety and Salvation Through PawsFrom Rock Bottom to Rescue: Zach Skow's Journey of Sobriety and Salvation Through Paws
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook talks with Zach Skow about his harrowing descent into addiction, a near‑fatal liver crisis, and the moment his dogs helped him choose sobriety. The conversation traces how that turning point grew into Marley's Mutts and the Pawsitive Change prison dog programme, highlighting the healing power of animals, community and structured recovery.
47:52•16 Apr 2024
From Rock Bottom to Rescue: How Dogs Helped Zach Skow Rebuild His Sober Life
Episode Overview
- Caring for dogs gave Zach purpose, structure and daily discipline that mirrored what he needed in recovery.
- A powerful moment of unconditional love from his dogs helped shift him from suicidal plans to choosing sobriety.
- Working a 12‑step programme and attending meetings provided tools, community and accountability he says were essential.
- Founding Marley's Mutts and the Pawsitive Change Programme turned his personal recovery into wider service for dogs and incarcerated people.
- Zach suggests folding your dog’s routine into your own healthy habits as a practical way to stay grounded and be of service.
“I looked at those dogs, man, and the way they looked at me was just that they saw who I was, that they recognised that I was still there.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This episode of *I Love Being Sober* follows Zach Skow as he talks with host Tim Westbrook about how a near‑fatal spiral into liver failure, crushing depression and suicidal thinking eventually led him to sobriety – with a pack of rescue dogs right at the centre of it.
You’ll hear Zach describe life before quitting as "a nightmare" of 24‑hour drinking, self‑hatred and hospital stays, culminating in a moment where he no longer recognised himself in the mirror.
The turning point came at 3am, covered in shame and convinced he was "permanently broken", when he looked down and saw his dogs gazing up at him with absolute acceptance: "They saw who I was… they recognised that I was still there." That look kept him alive and sparked a commitment to a different kind of life.
From there, Zach explains how walking his dogs at sunrise, working a 12‑step programme and building daily structure slowly rebuilt his body and spirit. He needed six months of sobriety to qualify for a liver transplant; by the time he got there, his liver had improved so much he no longer needed the operation. Every day became about dogs, eventually forming Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue and, later, the Pawsitive Change Programme.
The conversation also digs into how pairing "death row" shelter dogs with incarcerated people in California prisons creates mutual rehabilitation. Zach shares moving stories of men who hadn’t seen a dog in decades finding purpose and tenderness, and of a dog labelled "hates people" becoming a beloved companion and helping his handler build a career as a trainer.
For anyone in recovery, or supporting someone who is, this episode offers a raw, hopeful look at how animals, community and honest self‑work can turn a seemingly hopeless story around. It might leave you wondering: what unexpected ally could support your own journey?
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