Dogtown (The Simpsons) run animal medicine places like the poor Dr. Budgie, who gets arrested and put into shackles. Dr. Budgie's plea for Springfield to realize that the dogs will soon notice that humans have advocated their alpha status and turn on the citizens isn't taken seriously until it actually happens. Even Santa's Little Helper joins the feral dog pack, as the town hides from the now-vicious dogs, and a town meeting leads to the community begging their most broken-down citizen to help them: Gil. Gil's ready to face down his fellow street creatures, but it's Marge who steps up, and after finding
Brother's Little Helper medication. The episode features former Major League Baseball player Mark McGwire as himself. Finishing in 51st place, ratings for "Brother's Little Helper" were considered disappointing by "Deseret News", although the episode became the most watched program on the network that night. Following its broadcast, the episode was positively received by critics. In response to the episode, five months after the episode originally aired, United States president Bill Clinton held the first ever White House conference on Mental Health. Principal Skinner holds a Fire Prevention site at the Springfield Elementary Schoolyard. Then a skit featuring Ned and Maude Flanders goes awry.