when I did my 4th and 8th step, all the ways I treated my pets so poorly in active addiction came up. I can't believe the stuff I did that I should not have done, and the stuff I should have done that I did not do when it came to these innocent creatures. all I can say is I was caught in the grip and my best intentions went noplace as long as the drugs came first (which they always did). Sad that I insisted on always having a pet, when I was so incapable of caring for one.
So now, as part of my 9th step (in addition to caring for my current "recovery pets" as well as can be) I give money to the ASPCA & The Humane Society several times each year.
My own AD has a big pit pull in a tiny little apartment that she shares with her BF. I have no idea what sort of care the poor dog gets. Well at least she's home a lot since she does nothing, and her BF buys her most of her drugs. (I was working or out partying pretty much all the time when i had my "using pets" so a lot of my abuse came in the form of severe neglect.)