Trans-Species? New Documentary Explores Thriving Community of Men Who Think They’re Puppies
As “trans” quickly leaps to the top of culture vernacular, thousands of men now embrace the term “trans-species” as they indulge in “pet play.”
The UK’s Channel 4’s latest documentary, which airs Wednesday night, delves into the secret lives of men who now identify as puppies. Yes, puppies.
The doc features Tom, who now goes by Spot. He now sleeps in a crate lined with puppy pads. Tom dumped his fiancee because he could no longer resist the call of the wild.
“Rachel thought I was becoming gay,” Tom says. But, “A tiny bit of me regrets being a puppy because I lost what I had.”
But puppy play is not just about lounging around waiting for snacks and belly rubs.
“When you’re into it, you ignore what’s going on around you in terms of money and food,” Tom said. “It’s not sexual, it’s just escapism to get away from everything that’s run of the mill.”
Documentary director Guy Simmonds says he stumbled across pictures of the human pups online, which sparked the idea for the film.
“At first I thought it was just one or two guys behind closed doors doing this thing, but actually there’s a big thriving community. Who are very out and proud about what they do,” Simmonds told The Sun.
Even the director says sex is part of the equation.
“For them it’s about being more primal and escaping the stresses of a more hectic world. Putting a mask on and becoming someone else, it appeals to some people. And it’s a welcoming, accepting community,” Simmonds tells Newsweek.
