Page 76 - AVN October 2017

FEATURE
RELEASE THE KRAKEN!
Pet play breeds new interest with manufacturers, retailers, consumers
Puppies and kittens and unicorns … oh my!
P
When it comes to kinks and fetishes, pet play
is nothing new. Consenting adults who dress
up or treat one or the other as various types of
animals have been around as long as there’s
been sex. But for most of that time, there were
not always readily available, mass-produced
items to help with the fantasy play. Sure, there
was the occasional anal plug with a fuzzy
pompom on the end, but true practitioners
often had to resort to creative means or
manufacturing their own pieces.
But as fetishes and different types of bondage
play become more and more mainstream,
manufacturers are realizing there’s a large
audience looking for animal-themed items, and
that audience continues to grow.
Shellie Martin, the founder and CEO of
Crystal Delights, had already been making a few
plugs with tails when she was approached by a
customer about trying something new.
“I had a customer contact me who had a tail
plug but she hated the black rubber plug it was
attached to, she asked me if I could put it on
one of our glass plugs because she loved them,”
Martin said. “I told her I wasn’t sure but I
would surely try! The rest is history!”
IT MAY LOOK LIKE
ANIMAL PLAY IS A
NEW FETISH, BUT IT
HAS BEEN AROUND A
LONG TIME AND
IS QUICKLY
BECOMING MORE
POPULAR.
—LYNDA MORT
effort, but until that time, we believe that all parts of the
animal should be used and not simply discarded as waste.
Crystal Delights donates a portion of real fur tail profits
annually to animal charities as part of our charitable
mission.”
Stockroom has long been a go-to for fans of more
extreme items. Just recently, the company that’s made
its name in bondage and fetish for more than 20 years
added a Five Color Ponytail Glass Butt Plug to its product
lineup. The plug was added to the retailer’s Animal
Role-play collection of items for sale. In addition to a
range of collars and leashes, Stockroom also carries a
number of items specifically designed for puppy and pony
play. Leather dog masks and pony heads are part of the
selection, as are a K9 Muzzle and Pony Hoofs.
Those looking for other types of animals can find a Pig
Face Hood, a Leather Bunny Hood and a Fox Tail Silicone
Butt Plug. And animal play would not be complete
without treats and training items: A variety of crops,
rubber but gags and a steel cage are all offered online by
Stockroom.
XR Brands has been manufacturing items related to
pet play for some time, including the new Strict Crawler
Bondage Set which binds the wearer’s arms and legs into
a bent position, forcing them to crawl on their knees and
elbows.
“It may look like animal play is a new fetish, but it
has been around a long time and is quickly becoming
more popular,” explained Lynda Mort, former director of
business development for the manufacturer. “I think what
makes this type of kink appealing is that it is an easy
transition into figuring out what you like without getting
into more aggressive things like BDSM. This makes it
great for beginners who want to experiment with the
dominant/submissive relationship. This type of play
allows you to play in your kink with or without the sexual
part of the relationship as well. This kink is very big in
the gay communities but is growing with couples as well.
FEATURE | By Sherri L. Shaulis
Today, Martin and her company make a
variety of glass plugs with animal tails that not
only look like the real thing, but feel like it too.
“If you are not averse to real fur there is no
comparison between the real and the faux fur
products,” she said. “The real is soft and silky
and just feels … well, real!” Martin said. “We
try to source the best fur we can find for our
faux fur products for those that don’t want to
have a real fur product and they come a really
close second in quality. We also have an ethical
use policy: our tails come from companies
that specialize in the ‘refuse parts’ of animals
typically thrown away. We at Crystal Delights
do not condone the killing of an animal for
its coat and we believe that someday the fur
trade will likely be abolished. We support that
The Living End Above, the Piggy Tail Anal Plug from XR Brands’
Tailz collection. Below, the Crystal Minx Detachable Faux Ponytail Plug
from Crystal Delights.
76 | AVN.com | 10.17