Rent-a-Dog

You can rent just about anything these days. I constantly am bombarded with emails extolling the virtues of renting pricey handbags designed to impress friends and neighbors, but when I heard about a service which is becoming quite popular with animal lovers, I about fell off my chair, laughing. Maybe I should not poke fun about it, but the concept of renting a dog for a weekend just had me in stitches.

This being said, as I read more about Flezpetz, a dog renting agency's ultimate goal of finding forever loving adoptive homes for the dogs they rescue from animal shelters, I stopped laughing. Operating from the Wet Nose Doggy Gym at 34 East 13th St, in New York City, they also provide doggie day care and boarding for canines. The company started in San Diego and opened in Los Angeles. Flexpetz plans to expand its operations to Boston, Washington, San Francisco and London.

Folks looking for canine companionship but not wanting to make a permanent commitment to owning a dog may find this service to be just the ticket. It does give people the opportunity to both enjoy a temporary "relationship" with a dog and to ascertain if it is realistic for them to form a permanent one. Renting a dog however does not come cheap. A monthly membership includes for one-day rentals and costs about $279.95. For $45.00 a day or part of a day, one can extend the rental time.

Prospective members are interviewed in depth, in order to find out if the service is appropriate for the applicant. After approval from the main office in San Diego, members are given a mandatory one-hour training session covering handling and dog training. Members then are free to choose a dog that sparks their interest from photos of dogs for rent featured on their web site.

Some folks who rent for a day live in apartments, which do not permit dogs. Others have relocated to a new area and miss family and friends, so a canine companion helps to alleviate homesickness. Some people who have recently lost a beloved dog, and still grieving, not ready to make a permanent commitment to a new pet, and can find solace through the service. For every dog that is rented, there is a different reason.

After giving this considerable thought, I find myself thinking that this is not a bad thing. It certainly has its place in the world of the pet connection, and has many positive aspects. I can't help but having a little sparkle of laughter remaining as I wonder if upon return of the dog, will my deposit be returned?

For more on renting pets, check out petside's article here.

Would you consider using a dog rental service? What are your feelings about it? Leave a comment and share with us.