My pet’s on Prozac. Otherwise, I’d have to rehome her

Singer and songwriter Lily Allen was recently slammed for her decision to rehome her rescue dog, Mary. She received death threats through social media, while the nonprofit animal organisation PETA sent her a mechanical dog with a letter, telling her it was “the only animal you should bring into your home”.

While the reason behind Allen’s decision highlights her privileged position – the dog ate her children’s passports – many everyday families have been forced to consider rehoming a beloved pet. I had to think about it with my own dog, Dotty. Thankfully, a prescription of Prozac kept us together. (No, it wasn’t for me.)

Ellen Milankovic with her baby son, Freddie, and Dotty, their 65-kilogram Newfoundland.

Dotty is sensitive, loyal and fiercely protective of her family – admirable qualities in a pet, especially when you’re raising a young family, but her size and strength can make these traits problematic. She is a 2½-year-old Newfoundland weighing more than 65 kilograms. She is often likened to a small black bear and, when she stands on her hind legs, she can touch my shoulders.

“Who’s walking who?” neighbours will say. “Taking the horse round the block, are we?”

Her size hadn’t been a problem for my husband and me – until we brought our baby home.

During pregnancy, I did a lot of research about how to introduce Dotty to the baby. I read Tell Your Dog You’re Pregnant: An essential guide for dog owners who are expecting a baby by Dr Lewis Kirkham. I learnt all I could about owning a dog and raising a baby at the same time. I consulted a dog trainer and our vet. I exposed Dotty to sounds of babies and even bought a Baby Born doll for practice. I was anxious, nevertheless, about how she would react when we brought our baby son, Freddie, home.

Lily Allen has been trolled over her decision to rehome her dog, Mary.Credit: Getty

Dotty was fine at that first meeting. After an initial sniff, she left the baby alone. Even the crying didn’t bother her.

But when my husband went back to work three weeks later, my confidence waned. Without him to provide Dotty constant attention and reassurance, she became anxious and agitated about the addition to our household. She’d bark at me from the other side of the room while I was breastfeeding. If I put her outside, she’d jump on the window panes and paw them until they rattled. She’d growl and bark at visitors to the point they were too terrified to visit.

And yet, it wasn’t until one night when Dotty experienced what appeared to be a breakdown – crying for hours, pacing around the house with toys in her mouth – that we really started to panic. The vet told us her behaviour indicated she was experiencing severe anxiety. He doped her out on heavy-duty tranquillisers. It made her temporarily comfortable, yes, but it was then that we wondered whether our home was still suitable for Dotty. Our conversations about rehoming her began.

And we were devastated, especially my husband. He was a mess. He’d be losing his best pal. We went back and forth, worrying about the risk she might pose to our baby, then about the heartache we’d suffer if we gave her away. We’d both been raised to love and care for pets, as members of our families.

We consulted a veterinary behaviourist. She prescribed Prozac, the anti-anxiety medication also known as fluoxetine, and lots of training.

We were initially hesitant about the medication. Using antidepressants to treat mental health illnesses is controversial enough for humans, let alone pets. There is limited data in Australia surrounding their use for animals, although American research by the Centre for Canine Behaviour Studies found 45 per cent of pet owners who sought professional help for anxious dogs were prescribed antidepressant medication. Given there are often shortages when I go to fill Dotty’s prescription, it seems we are not alone in our decision to medicate.

We were desperate, willing to try anything. After a few months, and after tweaking the dosage, we started to see huge improvements in Dotty’s behaviour. Her anxiety came under control and she grew to like Freddie. She even gently plays with him. Perhaps it helps that he shares his food with her from his high chair.

We do wonder whether keeping her on Prozac long-term will be wise, especially given the scepticism of our local vet. But with reassurance from the veterinary behaviourist, and the noticeable improvement in Dotty’s wellbeing, for now, it seems the safest plan. We hope it means we’ll never have to revisit the rehoming conversation.

Ellen Milankovic is a writer, teacher and mother.