Texas State, The Pearl study a resident dog's role in addiction recovery

The Pearl and Texas State University have launched a study at The Pearl's Texas residential campus to measure how a full-time resident French Bulldog may affect women in early recovery. The research could help shape future behavioral health treatment models if the findings show added value from permanent companion-animal presence.

Why it matters: - The study is testing whether a permanent resident dog can improve connection, emotional regulation, hope, purpose and spiritual engagement for women in addiction recovery. - If the results are positive, the research could influence how residential treatment programs think about companion animals in behavioral healthcare. - The project focuses on a question that has seen limited research: whether living alongside a resident canine differs from receiving occasional animal-assisted therapy.

What happened: - The Pearl, a women’s residential addiction treatment program within Foundation Stone Family of Programs, partnered with Texas State University on a research study. - The study begins on July 22, 2026, at The Pearl’s residential campus in Texas. - A French Bulldog named Bougie will live full-time at The Pearl and become part of the women’s treatment community. - The research examines the spiritual benefit of canine presence in substance use disorder treatment.

The details: - The study will look at how daily exposure to a resident canine affects women in early recovery. - Researchers will evaluate participants through both qualitative and quantitative measures during treatment. - The study will examine emotional safety, trust, community engagement and spiritual well-being. - Bougie is different from a visiting therapy dog because Bougie will share daily life with residents throughout treatment. - Marsha Stone, founder and CEO of Foundation Stone Family of Programs, said the project reflects years of observation that healing happens through connection. - Morgan Gaither, the study’s principal investigator and a graduate student at Texas State University, said the project builds on personal recovery experience and aims to add meaningful knowledge to the addiction treatment field. - Dr. Jonathan Stone, Bougie’s veterinarian, said companion animals can provide comfort without expectation and have therapeutic value during difficult moments. - The Pearl describes itself as a women’s residential program specializing in substance use disorders, trauma and co-occurring mental health conditions. - The Pearl says its care model addresses emotional, relational and spiritual aspects of long-term recovery.

Between the lines: - The partnership blends clinical treatment with a lived, community-based form of animal presence, not just short-term animal visits. - The focus on spiritual engagement suggests the study is trying to measure recovery outcomes that go beyond symptom reduction. - The project could help move a commonly observed benefit of pets in healing settings into a more formal evidence base.

What's next: - Researchers will track participants across the treatment experience and compare how the resident canine affects recovery-related measures. - If the findings support clinical observations, the results could encourage broader use of resident companion animals in treatment settings. - The study may also inform future treatment models that combine clinical care with relationship-based support.

The bottom line: - The Pearl and Texas State University are turning an intuitive idea into a formal study: a full-time dog may help women in recovery feel safer, more connected and more engaged in treatment.