Meet Bella, the British pug who’d make a case for gender-neutral fire hydrants.
When the 8-month-old flat-nosed pup was treated for a skin condition, the vet made a startling discovery – Bella is a hermaphrodite.
Dr. Lizzie Howitt of the White Cross Vets in Coulby Newham said little Bella has a very rare condition in which an animal has reproductive organs of both genders, the GazetteLive of the UK reported.
Bella’s male appendage is internal, however, so her appearance remains decidedly ladylike.
And after being spayed and getting her testicles removed, she displayed no signs of gender confusion.
“Whenever a client brings in their pet with a problem we make sure we carry out an in-depth and full health check,” Howitt told the news site. “When I examined Bella’s body I noticed what looked like a small penis, but in all other aspects she was a female dog. As a result we advised that she should be spayed.”
When Bella was under general anesthesia, Howitt probed further.
“I removed Bella’s uterus and then found two testicles where her two ovaries would normally be, which I also removed. We were unable to remove the penis as it would be a complicated procedure,” she said. “She could have been referred to a specialist but we all felt that she did not need to be put through such an operation purely for cosmetic reasons.”
Bella made a quick recovery and is happily back at home.
Her owner Tracy said: “When Lizzie said that Bella was a hermaphrodite it was a surprise but didn’t bother me at all. I told the breeder where we got her from about it and she very kindly offered us our money back, but we would never swap Bella, she is such a lovely dog and a joy to have.”