It’s not every day that we hear of animals going through rehab for alcohol addiction. However, the recent news of a two-year-old Labrador mix undergoing detox for alcohol addiction in the United Kingdom has raised some interesting questions about alcohol consumption in animals.
The 2-year-old male pup, named Coco, was taken in by Woodside Animal Welfare Trust after his owner died, and, in a rare case, the charity shelter found the dog to be suffering “from fits” due to alcohol addiction.
Woodside Animal Welfare Trust — once honored by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth — wrote about treating its first case of canine alcohol addiction, praising the work of its special care unit.
“After arriving with his canine pal following the death of his owner, he and his companion became quickly unwell,” the shelter wrote on Facebook of initially taking in two dogs. “Coco’s friend was repeatedly fitting, and soon after, Coco also started to fit. Thankfully a vet was on site at the time and was able to administer emergency care, but sadly Coco’s friend passed away despite our best efforts.”
“Coco continued to be seriously unwell and required round-the-clock care,” the post continued. “It became clear that he was suffering from symptoms that all pointed to alcohol withdrawal. He spent four weeks sedated to help with his withdrawal symptoms and to reduce the risk of further fits. We are so thankful that we are now out of danger, and Coco is off all medication and is now starting to behave like a normal dog.”
Woodside noted that Coco has recovered physically, but the canine is not ready for adoption as he continues to recover mentally. Woodside Animal Welfare Trust/Facebook
“No one knows the specifics on how these dogs got into the situation with alcohol, but we do know that without our care, Coco would likely have not survived this heartbreaking ordeal,” the U.K. organization added.
PEOPLE has reached out to Woodside Animal Welfare Trust for further comment on Coco and his progress.
Supporters of Woodside filled the comments section of the nonprofit’s Facebook post about Coco with praise for the organization.
“This is heartbreaking to read,” one of the charity’s supporters shared. “Thank you team Woodside Animal Welfare Trust for always helping all the animals, your patience and care is exemplary.”
According to Woodside’s website, the organization is “the only sanctuary in our area to take in most types of domestic pets, as well as a number of tame farm animals.”
“Woodside will always try its best to ensure that all pets find appropriate, loving homes. However, due to age or illness, some will never be selected and remain as much-loved residents. We are now one of the few charities in the area that does so,” the site adds.