Winston Churchill described the lifelong melancholy that followed him as his “black dog”. But Monty Don says that his own dogs help him in dealing with the depression that has plagued his life.
The BBC Two Gardeners’ World presenter said that adopting a puppy while recovering from a stroke in 2008 had been a huge comfort.
Don, whose golden retriever Nigel has garnered a cult following through his appearances on the TV gardening show, said that there was evidence that dogs and other pets could aid the recovery of patients.
“It’s no secret that I suffered from depression,” he told The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. “A dog is an incredibly good way of getting you through the bleak patches, partly because