A satirical horror debut perfect for fans of Girl Dinner and Motherthing, about the lengths to which a doting dog mom will go for her bloodthirsty fur baby.

DOG MOM
by Madi Stine
akaStory/Abrams, July 2027

Phoebe has felt alone all her life. She’s the outsider in her adopted family, and she’s always felt her parent’s love is conditional on her being good. Her marriage is no better, and when Phoebe experiences a late–term miscarriage, it destroys any hope she’s harbored of finally finding unconditional love. Until she meets Teddy…

Teddy is a stray wolf dog. Though Teddy’s origins are mysterious, it’s clear he’s all alone in the world too. He’s injured, starving, and needs Phoebe’s help to survive. Although Teddy treats Phoebe’s house like a toilet and massacres her unused baby toys, he gets Phoebe out of bed to tend to his messes. In a way, he takes better care of Phoebe than her husband, Quinn, ever has.

As Phoebe’s bond with Teddy intensifies, he fills that void deep within her. The one that convinced her she was unlovable, unworthy. With Teddy to look after, she feels whole again. Soon, Teddy is the most important part of her life. And nothing comes between a girl and her beloved dog. Not the meddling next door neighbor. Not her family. Not her husband.

Madi Stine is an award–winning writer/director based in Los Angeles. She earned a BA in Film and English from Harvard University where she graduated with honors and was a Fulbright Scholar. As a Fulbright Scholar, she affiliated with the University of British Columbia, researching and writing a historical screenplay set on the Canadian frontier. Madi then relocated to New York where she earned an MFA in Screenwriting/Directing from Columbia University. While at Columbia, her horror–comedy short, Rose & Pinky are Metal, screened in the US and internationally before being acquired by ShortsTV. DOG MOM, her debut novel, is based on her original screenplay of the same name, which was named a 2025 script competition finalist at the Austin Film Festival.