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Therapy Gecko · iHeartPodcasts

“I ACCIDENTALLY ATE A DOG”

November 16, 2025·1 hr 24 min·5 clips
A former missionary discovers mid-meal that the 'chicken adobo' he's eating is actually the family's missing dog.
Therapy Gecko, host Lyle, takes anonymous calls about life's unusual problems. This episode features three distinct callers sharing personal stories and seeking perspective. Jason, a former Mormon missionary, recounts being unknowingly served dog meat at a family's birthday party in the Philippines. He describes the dish being presented as chicken adobo and his conflicted reaction upon learning the truth. The host and Jason discuss the cultural and ethical dimensions of eating different animals, comparing it to consuming guinea pigs or insects. A second caller, Ted, is a 20-year-old man in a secret relationship with a 63-year-old man he met online. Ted expresses frustration about not being integrated into his partner's life with friends and family due to their age gap. He reveals he is not openly gay and has no one else to discuss this with. Lyle gently explores Ted's life circumstances and urges caution, emphasizing the mental energy spent on a relationship that may hinder Ted's own personal development. The final caller, preparing for fatherhood, shares his "doomer" outlook about societal collapse due to climate change and politics. He is anxious about how to protect his future child and questions if his need for certainty fuels his pessimism. Lyle offers a counterpoint, noting that every era feels unprecedented and human connection persists despite doomsday forecasts. The caller mentions his wife is far less worried and tells him to calm down. A surprising moment is Jason's admission that he finished his meal after learning it was dog, not wanting to be rude to his hosts. The conversation with Ted reveals he has never dated anyone else and pushed for the relationship himself, despite the significant age difference. Lyle's advice to Ted focuses on the hidden cost of mental energy and the importance of building one's own independent life. The doomer caller confesses that Lyle, as an internet stranger, knows about his pregnancy before his own parents do. The tone is conversational, non-judgmental, and meandering, with Lyle acting as an empathetic sounding board. The style is a mix of lighthearted anecdote-sharing and more serious, advice-adjacent life coaching. Listeners who enjoy strange personal anecdotes and low-stakes ethical dilemmas would appreciate the first call. Those interested in nuanced, compassionate discussions about complex relationships and personal growth would find value in the second segment. People prone to existential anxiety about the future might relate to the final caller's concerns. Listeners seeking highly structured advice or definitive answers might find the open-ended conversations less satisfying.

As heard by us

A gross story opens into a funny, uneasy talk about ethics, memory, and a hotter future.

The episode takes a gross anecdote and lets it open into something steadier: a talk about ethics, appetite, and the stories people tell themselves.

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Why you'd press play

A call-in about eating guinea pig in Peru that turns into a surprisingly serious ethics debate.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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