Recovered cocaine addict shares heartwarming story of how taking over shelter for abandoned dogs helped him beat drugs because he was so dedicated to caring for animals with 'broken souls'

A recovered drug addict has shared his inspirational story of how he was able to beat drugs and turn his life around after adopting a puppy. 

Mike Favor, a 40-year-old New York carpenter and son of a cop, was an active cocaine user for 13 years and was battling to get sober when he met an eight-week-old German Shepherd with a heart condition in 2016. 

The rescue organization, where Favor occasionally volunteered, told him that the puppy only had four months to live due to its condition. 

After much reluctance, Favor took in the dog, named it Honey and said: 'I'll give her the best four months possible'.

Little did he know that adopting Honey would begin his nearly decade long journey of sobriety and encourage him to set up a rescue center for abandoned dogs. 

Mike Favor, a 40-year-old carpenter and son of a cop was an active cocaine user for 13 years and was trying to get sober when he met a eight week old German Shepherd with a heart condition in 2016

After much reluctance, Favor took in the dog, named it Honey and said: 'I'll give her the best four months possible'

Freedom Home, a 4,000-square-foot sanctuary houses tons of abused or neglected dogs that either left by owners or found on streets.

Favor also runs a program called Pitbulls and Addicts that connects recovering addicts with the breed. 

As the recovered carpenter explains, the program brings together 'two misunderstood breeds that need care and acceptance'.

Apart from this, Favor also runs Broken Souls Rescue and Recovery, that is among over 300 nonprofit rescue groups in New York that take in stray or abused dogs, either from city shelters or off the streets and facilitate adoptions.

Freedom Home, a 4,000-square-foot sanctuary houses tons of abused or neglected dogs that either left by owners or found on streets

 Favor also runs a program called Pitbulls and Addicts that connects recovering addicts with Pit bulls

As the recovered carpenter explains, the program brings together 'two misunderstood breeds that need care and acceptance'

'I wanted to show people what works for me. This lifestyle with dogs just made me not want to cope with drugs no more, but to cope with broken souls, because I was a broken soul. These animals gave me a purpose to live.

'That dog accepted me for who I was at the lowest point of my life. As an addict, we go into a corner and we defend ourselves. 

'I opened up my heart and I welcomed her. And with that, she welcomed me to find the man that's inside. I was still a broken boy trying to get to that man, the seven-year drug-free man told the New York Times. 

Talking of his current state, he said: 'This is seven years. I finally feel like I'm OK. I didn't feel this way my whole life. Like I finally have a reason to live.'

According to Favor, he prefers to focus pit bulls due to them being 'the hardest to place, stigmatized as aggressive and dangerous'. 

But starting the shelters wasn't as easy as it seems. 

According to Favor, he prefers to focus pit bulls due to them being 'the hardest to place, stigmatized as aggressive and dangerous'

When asked what he thinks the usual problem with such dogs or with the world is, his go to response is 'humans'

'I've been robbed. I let people sleep on couches. I put people in hotel rooms. I took guys under my wing for many, many, many months,' he explained.  

Favor also suspects that someone deliberately started a fire that burned down much of the shelter in 2019. 

When asked what he thinks the usual problem with such dogs or with the world is, his go to response is 'humans'.

'It's the humans. Soft-ass America is not for me.'

Although Honey survived her condition for seven years and succumbed last year, Favor has not been deterred form his goal and says there is still more work to do. 

'If you walk past a homeless dog in the street, you stop and you want to help,' he said. You walk past a drug addict, you step over them. We need to do better.'