Tony Parsons says dogs are family as he discusses book about late dog Stan

Author and journalist Tony Parsons has spoken about his late dog Stan and the book he wrote after Stan's death, Man and Dog: A Love Story. Stan died two years ago after 12 and a half years with Parsons, and he described the loss as a death in the family. He said the dog made him smile and laugh every day and that losing him felt like the family's hearts had been ripped out and kicked down the street.

Parsons said Stan had a lasting effect on his life. The dog got him outside in all weathers, reconnected him with nature and gave him thousands of sunrises and sunsets he would otherwise have missed. He said Stan was present through family bereavement, his daughter's adolescence and ups and downs in his career, and that the dog remained optimistic and lived in the moment.

The interview also covered the wider human-dog bond. Parsons said there are around 10 million dog owners in the UK and argued that few would call their dog a pet. Dogs are family members, he said, and often the most popular member of the family. He described the relationship as intimate and unequal: a dog is only there for part of an owner's life, while an owner is there for the whole of a dog's life. He said dogs show pure unconditional love and that the joy they bring makes the grief at the end worth it.

Parsons said he believed dogs should be prescribed on the NHS because of the support they give to mental health. He also said a column he wrote about Stan had a strong response because it touched a universal feeling shared by dog owners. The presenter described losing his own cocker spaniel, Meg, and said the loss felt like losing a member of the family. Viewers' photos of dogs, including Stan on his 12th birthday, were shown during the item.

Asked whether he would get another dog, Parsons said life is not as good without one but that he worried he might die before a new dog. He said owners have a duty of care to their dogs. The broadcast also included a separate item about a 13-week-old puppy being prepared for its first Bonfire Night, reflecting concerns about fireworks affecting dogs.