In stressful times, our anxiety can rub off on pets. Causes and cures for pet anxiety

In this age of heightened anxiety, many of us turn to our pets for emotional support. But is our behavior increasing our furry friends’ fears?

The answer isn’t simple, says Frankie Jackson, a veterinary nurse and animal behavior consultant, and the owner of Canine Counseling in Smyrna, Georgia. She said she's seen an increase in anxiety among her animal and human clients, but that it’s hard to unwind the cause and effect.

“Dogs are incredibly responsive to our expressions, our body language and our scent,” she says. “There is a feedback loop — the owners are nervous; the dog gets nervous. Our cortisol levels rise and fall in tandem.”

Dr. Becky Peters, a veterinarian and owner of Bath Veterinary Hospital in Bath, New York, has also noticed a link between the anxiety of pets and their owners, particularly in the exam room.

“If owners try to over comfort them — lots of ‘you’re OK!’" in anxious voices, the animals do get more anxious. If we stay calm and quiet, they do too,” Peters says.

Peters attributes much of the rise in pet anxiety to the social upheaval of the COVID years. Many animals who were acquired during the pandemic had limited opportunities to socialize with other people and pets during their peak developmental stages. After COVID, pets who were used to having their family at home experienced separation anxiety as their owners returned to work and school.

“A lot of pet anxiety comes from changes to their households,” Peters says. “It can also occur from a lack of routine and structure and not enough physical activity.”

Other components that could contribute to our pets’ anxiety include unmet needs, past trauma and insufficient open spaces.

"We are asking our dogs to live in a world that isn’t made for them,” she says.

Low-level stress responses in dogs, such as eating less and excessive self-grooming, are forms of communication that precede lunging and barking, Jackson says. Trying to solve reactive behaviors through obedience training without addressing the root cause can make dogs’ anxiety worse.

“It’s important to understand what the dogs are saying and why they’re behaving the way they are. Manners and life skills are important, but it won’t create happy dogs,” Jackson says.

Anxiety in cats can be harder to spot, according to Jackson, because they’re hard-wired to hide it. While dogs seek out their support people, cats don’t feel safe expressing their vulnerability. Urinating in the house, scratching, hiding under the bed and overgrooming can be signs that your kitty is anxious.

If your animal companion is suddenly acting out or on a licking binge, Jackson advises seeing a veterinarian to rule out a medical cause, such as pain or allergies.

Veterinarians can also prescribe anti-anxiety medication and complementary treatments to promote sleep and relaxation. Peters recommends supplements for her canine clients including probiotics and the amino acids l-theanine and tryptophan (yes, the turkey coma one).

For cats, she suggests using a product like Feliway that diffuses calming pheromones into the air.

A dog's breed might also play a part in developing anxiety. Peters says that while every dog is different, the more active herding and working breeds like shepherds and border collies can become anxious and destructive without an outlet for their energy.

“Herding breeds need space to run and jobs to do,” she says.

When Tacoma, Washington, resident Shelani Vanniasinkam got her Australian shepherd puppy, Roo, she didn’t know about the breed’s reputation for anxiety. Her previous dog had been an easygoing husky who enjoyed pats from strangers and visits to the dog park. She quickly realized Roo was not that type of dog.

“He had a lot more needs than we anticipated,” Vanniasinkam says. “We couldn’t leave him alone for more than 30 minutes.”

Vanniasinkam and her husband, Jesus Celaya, reached out to a local pet behavioralist, but it became clear that Roo’s anxiety was so acute he needed medication before he could start behavior training.

Medication can be important in behavioral treatment, but it shouldn’t be the only approach, says Peters. She usually suggests that her clients try training and routine modification first, unless their pet is causing harm to themselves or others.

“If I’m going to use meds, it’s part of a greater process,” Peters says.

Roo’s veterinarian put him on Fluoxetine, or “doggie Prozac,” an antidepressant commonly given to anxious pets. He also prescribed Trazodone, another antidepressant, for particularly stressful events, such as trips to the vet or a night of fireworks.

After starting his medication, Roo received eight months of behavior training, during which Vanniasinkam and her husband not only changed their own approach to dog parenting but also set boundaries with friends and family. They limited Roo’s interaction with other dogs, asked people to stop using their doorbell and requested that others ignore Roo when he barks.

Now, when they want to take Roo for off-leash play, they book time at a local Sniffspot, which Vanniasinkam describes as “an Airbnb for anxious and reactive dogs.” The company, which launched in 2016, allows homeowners to rent out their yards or property by the hour for solo, off-leash play or doggie playdates.

“It’s sad when you can’t take your dog to a dog park,” Vanniasinkam says. “So, this option is really nice.”

She says that while it was initially difficult to navigate Roo’s anxiety, he is loving, family-oriented and worth the effort.

“It’s hard having an anxious dog, but you can figure it out,” she says. “It’s just important to understand your dog, so you’re set up for success.”

This undated photo released by Shelani Vanniasinkam shows her dog Roo appears by an obstacle course at one of his favorite Sniffspots in Puyallup, Wash. Sniffspots are locations that pet owners can rent by the hour for solo off-leash dog play. (AP Photo/Shelani Vanniasinkam)

Cookie, an eight-year-old German shepherd mix, rests off-leash in a yard in Waitsfield, Vt., on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Lessard)

This undated photo released by Dr. Becky Peters, a veterinarian and owner of Bath Veterinary Hospital in Bath, N.Y., shows Peters with her dog, (AP Photo/Becky Peters)

This undated photo released by Frankie Jackson, a UK-registered veterinary nurse and certified animal behavior consultant, shows Jackson with her dog, Rook, at her home in Smyrna, Ga. (AP Photo/Frankie Jackson)

Cookie, an eight-year-old German shepherd mix with anxiety, appears at a home in Waitsfield, Vt., on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Lessard)

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court began hearing arguments Monday about the sentencing of democracy advocate and onetime-media magnate Jimmy Lai and his co-defendants, whose convictions under a national security law could land them in prison for life.

Lai, 78, is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper and an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party. He was arrested in 2020 under the law imposed by Beijing following massive anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong the year before.

In December, he was found guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious articles.

His conviction raised concerns about the curtailing of press freedom in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

His case could also be a test for Beijing's diplomatic ties. The verdict drew criticism from foreign governments, including the U.S. and Britain. After the verdict, U.S. President Donald Trump, who had raised Lai’s case with China, said he felt “so badly.”

Lai, alongside other co-defendants involved in the case, appeared in court for the four-day mitigation hearings. The maximum penalty for their convictions is life imprisonment. Sentencing will come later.

The court Monday morning heard arguments concerning two activists’ sentences. Lawyers representing them suggested the starting points of their clients’ sentences should be 10 years and 10 to 15 years respectively, but they should receive reductions in part due to their assistance in the case.

Lai’s lawyer Robert Pang will deliver his arguments in the afternoon.

When Lai entered the courtroom, he pressed his palms together, an apparent gesture to express gratitude, and smiled at those sitting in the gallery. The media tycoon appeared to be in good spirits and greeted a convicted Apple Daily editor who was also sitting in the dock.

In August, his lawyers told the court that he suffered from heart palpitations. Hong Kong’s government said no abnormalities were found in a subsequent medical exam.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau said Lai’s health was stable. Chau said Lai had lost just 0.8 kg (about 1.8 pounds) over five years of detention, weighing 79.2 kg (about 175 pounds) when it was last measured this month. Lai is still considered obese as an Asian adult, Chau said. The obesity comment drew chuckling from some members sitting in the public gallery, and Lai also smiled in the dock.

Before sunrise, dozens of people had already lined up outside the court building to secure a seat in the public gallery. Retiree Simon Ng, a former Apple Daily reader, said he arrived and waited in line since Friday morning, hoping to see Lai.

“I want to let him know that he’s not alone," Ng said. “Many people support him."

Lai was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, in addition to one count of conspiracy to distribute seditious publications. Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges.

A conviction on the collusion charge under the security law results in a sentence ranging from three years in jail to life, depending on the offense’s nature and his role in it. The sedition charge under a separate, colonial-era law carries a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.

Three government-vetted judges wrote in their December verdict that Lai spearheaded the conspiracies and took issue with what they called his “constant invitation” to the United States to bring down the Chinese government with the excuse of helping Hong Kongers.

Lai’s lawyers admitted during the trial that he had called for foreign sanctions before the national security law took effect, but insisted he dropped these calls to comply with the law. They also argued on freedom of expression grounds.

But the judges said that Lai had never wavered in his intention to destabilize the ruling Chinese Communist Party. After the enactment of the law, he intended to continue, though less explicitly, they said. They emphasized that Lai was not on trial for his political views.

Beijing has opposed what it called the smearing of Hong Kong's judiciary “by certain countries,” saying the judicial authorities perform duties according to the law.

Six ex-Apple Daily senior executives and two activists involved in Lai's case had entered guilty pleas, admitting that they had conspired with Lai and others to request foreign forces to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile activities.

The executives were publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung and editorial writers Fung Wai-kong and Yeung Ching-kee. Some of them, alongside the two activists Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, served as prosecution witnesses during the 156-day trial.

A guilty plea usually can lead to a sentence reduction. Under the security law, a reduced penalty may be granted to those who report on the offense committed by others.

Chan Pui man's husband, Chung Pui-kuen, a former top editor of Stand News who had been sentenced to 21 months in jail in a separate sedition case, was among those sitting in the public gallery.

After the verdict, Lai's daughter, Claire, said Lai would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he were released.

Trump said after the verdict that he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Lai and “asked to consider his release." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his government has made it a priority to secure the release of Lai, a British citizen.

People line up behind the barricades to attend the hearing about the upcoming sentence for pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Correctional Services Department vehicles arrive at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, ahead of a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of democracy advocate and onetime media magnate Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Members of foreign councils arrive at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts to attend a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Robert Pang, center, lawyer for pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai arrives to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, ahead of a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

Teresa Lai, wife of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai arrives to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts to attend a hearing to hear arguments about the sentencing of Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)

FILE- Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai is escorted by Correctional Services officers to get on a prison van before appearing in a court in Hong Kong, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)