Emily Lockhart feeds anti-anxiety medication to her cat, Priscilla. Photo: Peter Bregg.
Did you know that you can get the equivalent of Prozac for your cat or dog? Neither did I until I watched Pet Pharm, a documentary that investigates the pharmaceutical industry’s interest in drugging anxious, out of control pets.
Pet Pharm tells its story by using interviews from people like California dog trainer Dr. Ian Dunbar (who believes most problems can be resolved by training the dog and the dog’s owner) and Dr. Nicholas Dodman of the Tufts University Animal Behaviour Clinic in the Boston area (who advocates the use of psychoactive drugs on animals), as well as a handful of pet owners in Canada and the U.S. who have been battling constant issues with their little friends. When not focusing on the pharmaceutical aspect, the film shows other areas of the annual 53 billion dollar retail pet sector — such as dog rentals and pet hotels in Japan.
Directed by Patrick Reed (Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma), Pet Pharm succeeds at being neutral to both sides of the debate while delivering an interesting and educational film. My only complaint is that it could have extended the running time (it’s only 42-minutes long) and dug a little deeper with its investigation on whether the drugs work or not.
Pet Pharm airs on the CBC Doc Zone Thursday, November 4 at 9 p.m. ET and on CBC News Network on Friday, November 5 at 10 p.m. ET & PT. For more information, visit whitepinepictures.com.
