It's sounds nuts because it is - but it has also made Gregg Miller a fortune.
The 64-year-old from inventor and entrepreneur Missouri has managed to make millions with his invention of testicular implants for pets.
Called Neuticles, the silicone balls for male dogs are designed to replace testicles after dogs are neutered so that their overall appearance doesn't alter.
The dog balls have proved to be so popular, Miller says he has sold more than half-a-million sets of the rubbery things - for around $130 each.
The idea came to him in the mid-1990s soon after he had bought a bloodhound puppy named Buck.
He refused to neuter the pet but one day his best friend went missing after smelling the scent of a female dog in heat.
It left Miller beside himself with worry and took a further four days before Buck was found.
It was at that point Miller decided it was best to get his dog neutered or face the chance of Buck running off again and again.
He asked his vet if there was a way to give his dog implants 'so Buck can maintain his God-given natural look.' The vet told him that the idea was 'the craziest damn thing I've ever heard of.'
But it didn't sound crazy to Miller and that was when he first came up with the idea for Neuticles.
He is still convinced that Buck noticed something was missing after being neutered and would look back at him as if to say 'They're gone. What happened?'
This article has been adapted from its original source.
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