In 1973, Ann Margaret Zaleski patented a dog-shaped vacuum cleaner.
Why?  From the abstract:

A toy dog closely resembling a real dog and having a  hollow interior in which is mounted a vacuum cleaner having a suction  hose which is retractable from the tail end of the dog.  This enables  vacuuming a dog after a haircut and grooming without causing fear to the  dog, inasmuch as the vacuum cleaner noise is greatly muffled by such an  enclosure.

[via Neatorama]

In 1973, Ann Margaret Zaleski patented a dog-shaped vacuum cleaner.

Why? From the abstract:

A toy dog closely resembling a real dog and having a hollow interior in which is mounted a vacuum cleaner having a suction hose which is retractable from the tail end of the dog. This enables vacuuming a dog after a haircut and grooming without causing fear to the dog, inasmuch as the vacuum cleaner noise is greatly muffled by such an enclosure.

[via Neatorama]