Bechamel in Marseille

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - The 100,000 implant testicles for dogs that Gregg Miller has sold may not have done much for sex life of castrated canines, but they have worked wonders for the self-esteem of guilty owners.

Miller’s self-reproach at having his own dog neutered in 1993 led him to develop “neuticles” and give animals a new lease of life, at least in a virtual sense.

“It took two years to get developped,” Miller told AFP. “The reason why I came out with it was the trauma that I went through neutering my bloodhound ‘Buck’.”

The dog kept running away when it scented a female and once got 30 miles (48 kilometers) before it was found. “It was a miracle I got him back. I was really forced to get him neutered but once I did, I felt so guilty.”

Miller asked his vet if there was any implant “so Buck can look the same afterwards.” There was nothing. So after a 500,000 dollar investment, Miller’s company, Canine Testicular Implantation Corp. (CTI), carried out its first “neuticle” implant on a rottweiler named Max in 1995.

“Max is still alive today and still has his ‘neuticles’,” Miller said proudly.

Since then the company has supplied 100,000 implants across America and in 36 countries around the world including Britain, China, Australia and Spain.

The neuticles come in polypropylene, like firm plastic, or in softer silicone. The cost is between 60 dollars and 130 dollars. The operation fee is on top.

“It’s a male thing,” said Miller. “If I lost mine, I would want them to be replaced with the implants.” But some people just say they want their dog to look natural.

Michael Parks, a vet in the eastern Maryland town of Charlotte Hall, recently carried out his first implant operation. “The first thing when you hear about neuticles, is it is just kind of ridiculous,” he said.

His client was a Boxer whose female owner was concerned about how the dog would look after being neutered.

“The testicles are pretty much in plain view because there is no hair to cover everything up. And from the behind, you can see it very well, and she was worried that when we removed the testicles, he was going to look so much different.”

Parks does not believe dogs really feel “physically or psychologically” that they have suffered a major loss. “Dogs are not vain and they don’t really care how they look especially between the legs, I don’t think the dogs think about that.

“It is much more for the human. There are a lot of people who have problems with neutering especially men, for obvious reason. ‘I just can’t do that to my dog’.”

For Parks, “If it makes a human happy, I think it is a good product.”

Flavia Delmastro, a veterinarian in Fulton, Maryland, also believes neuticles are more important to humans than their castrated pets.

“The dogs don’t worry about it. They don’t see the difference. If it helps the owner to make the decision to neuter the animal, I am all for it.”

Miller’s business has taken off so much that now he is being asked to provide implants for cats, horses and even bulls in Spain.

One man in Colorado wanted implants for two water buffalos and the University of Louisiana sought neuticles for 25 rats, said Miller. “We do a lot of horses, a lot of bulls. But 90 percent of our business is with dogs.”

But some owners go too far and seek neuticles that are too big for the dog. Miller is disgusted.

One medical doctor in Indiana put large neuticles into a small dog. “The scrotum literally dragged the floor, it caused scrotal irritation. It was not fair to that pet, it was very inhumane. We really try to make sure that the pet is properly sized before we send them out,” he insisted.