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An interesting article in today’s Business Week addresses an issue that’s easy to snicker at, but one wonders if we have been insensitive to the feelings of post-neutering male dogs. Almost 20 years ago, Gregg Miller says, he watched his bloodhound, Buck, go through a grieving process after he was neutered:
“Dogs aren’t stupid,” he says. “They would know if their eye was gouged out, or their foot was cut off. Why wouldn’t they know if their testicles are now missing?”
So Miller began producing prosthetic dog testicles, which he calls “Neuticles,” as a way to help dogs and owners deal with the trauma of neutering. Even he understands that the idea seems weird and can’t resist a good pun: “’When Neuticles were introduced commercially in 1995,’ he says, ‘people thought I was nuts.’” But since they came on the market, more than half a million pets have used the product.
Click here to read the whole story, and let us know what you think. Are Neuticles a way of showing compassion for a beloved friend who may be going through a difficult time, or is the concept simply playing on the guilt of dog owners? The testimonials page on the Neuticles website offers kudos from many happy pet owners. Plus, there are videos of every conceivable procedure for those who have the stomach for that sort of thing.