MNN - Mother Nature Network

Presented not entirely without comment, I bring you “Stair of the Dog 2022,” a prototype stairlift for obese canines developed by British insurance company More Than in anticipation that 52 percent of pet pooches in the U.K. will be overweight — and unable to propel themselves up and down the stairs, apparently — by the year 2022. The device, if developed, is expected to sell for £5,000 (a little over 8 grand in U.S. dollars) and features a special “paw push” button so that dogs can activate it themselves with a bit of training.

To prevent you from spending $8,000 and to save Penelope the portly Pekinese from the humiliation of having the option to ride up and down the stairs in a plastic basket, I recommend clicking here, here, and here ... and here for an extra dose of adorable/pitiful.