Animals & Money: Would you rent a dog?
Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Travel
The dog rental business started off as one of those crazy Japanese trends that Americans couldn't quite believe really existed. In Japan everybody has mind-blowing electronics, wears eyelash wigs, competes on wacky gameshows like live Tetris. And, oh yeah, they rent out dogs for $19 an hour or $100 a day.An American company FlexPetz has tried to copy the formula here, staring with a small office in Iowa. No, just kidding. Where would someone start the Zipcar of dogs but in Los Angeles and New York? They claim they are for people who don't have the time or pet-friendly apartment for a real dog but the more popular theory is they're for singles who want to pick someone up.
FlexPetz tracks their dogs with GPS and says they use rescue dogs "where possible." The dogs in their pictures all seem to be purebreds, but FlexPetz tells the stories of some that come from shelters or were given up by owners. By all accounts they take great care of their dogs. What these dogs' emotional life is like after work, I'm not sure.
But the whole thing is mildly creepy. Even if you don't have a dog yourself, surely you must know somebody who has a dog, right? Somebody who needs pet-sitting or walking?
I like the hotel programs that InvestorSpot wrote about this week in this fun story much better. Two hotels, the Fairmont in Boston and the Ritz Carlton in Bachelor Gulch, Colorado, have resident dogs who guests are free to take out on walks.
The Fairmont has Catie Copley, a black lab who was a guide dog until she developed vision problems of her own. Guide dogs, of course, have PhD's in manners, so anybody is lucky to be around them. She lives with one of the staff, has an appointment book and takes naps between walks. Now that's a great way for everyone to enjoy a friendly dog while traveling. And, even people who aren't missing their dogs can enjoy her company: the Fairmont is pet-friendly, with a $25 per night pet fee.
The Ritz-Carlton has a rescue yellow lab, saved from the streets of Denver by Nikeno's Second Chances. The Ritz was looking for a dog for its Loan-A-Lab program, adopted him and named him Bachelor. There are a bunch of rules about who can take Bachelor out and where but the gist of it is he gets to go on mountain hikes with all kinds of people. And the Ritz is also dog-friendly, with a $125 fee per stay.
I don't think I'll ever find myself in a situation where I want to rent a dog. But I could definitely see myself -- even if I weren't traveling with a dog -- being drawn to a hotel that thinks of dogs as an asset, not a nuisance.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-21-2008 @ 5:00PM
Sharon said...
I helped the MSPCA in the State of Massachusetts BAN FlexPetz, and it is illegal for FlexPetz to operate out of MA. Renting a pet is cruel and heartless, and causes so much confusion for the poor dog. Our family has two dogs and three cats, we consider them as part of the family.
It is next to impossible to place these "rental dogs" into good homes after their renting days are over. They begin to develop behavioral issues, and out of fear and confusion become agressive and unadoptable. Pets are not movie rentals, they are living creatures.
FlexPetz operates out of pure greed.
Reply
11-24-2008 @ 8:18PM
Pam Williams said...
I do like the renting animals idea. The rental animals
will be treated like rental cars. Some people are
careful of their rental cars, some people trash them.
The same will happen to rental animals. A dog is a
sensitive, wise, and loving creature. Too many masters
will confuse the dog, and eventually destroy his or her
spirit.
Reply
11-24-2008 @ 9:04PM
Jada C. said...
I think I read about an animal rental service somewhere... Oh, yeah - in "Black Beauty," and that worked out sooo well for the horses. *sarcasm*
Renting out animals is a horrible idea. Especially if the animal has no permanent individual(s) to connect with (like the hotel pets have). And I doubt any of them are rescues, people who would rent an animal would only rent the cute puppies or the young, prettier purebred dogs - both of which are hard to find in a shelter.
I like the hotel dogs though. It's more like making a friend in a new place than using an animal for money. I know I find the presence of other dogs very comforting whenever I need to leave my own pets behind while traveling.
Reply
11-24-2008 @ 9:10PM
Erin said...
I don't agree with this. I, too, think of my dogs as family members, not just dogs. Dogs have feelings and personalities just like people and I can't imagine that this is healthy for them. Shame on this group for doing this.
Reply
11-24-2008 @ 9:16PM
TC said...
You can go to just about any animal shelter and walk an animal for $0.00 Many also have fostering programs that are absolutely free. You can foster an animal for a day to a few months depending on the need. The only people I see wasting money on this are those who have money to throw away and are stupid enough to throw away money in such ways.
Reply
11-24-2008 @ 10:59PM
Debie said...
Gosh...maybe we can rent out our children next? Mine are grown, but since there is profit in leasing out my pets....Would anyone be interested in adult children? One son is politically correct and the other challenges everything. I'd split the fees with them. Unlike the rental of my dogs.
Everything is about money. Where is the love and compassion? Are we a society that just worries about how much money we can make? OR is it that we want to impress people during gatherings with pets that we really don't have feelings about, but we paid for to impress people?
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11-24-2008 @ 11:03PM
Wolfster said...
This should be illegal everywhere. The Japanese should be ashamed of themselves for starting this greed-based trend, which capitalizes on human loneliness and the vulnerability of a domesticated and loyal animal. Dogs, like their wild counterparts, are pack animals. To lose its pack is traumatic for a dog. To ask them to somehow understand why they lose their pack and are forced into a new one they may dislike, each and every day, is horribly cruel.
If you really can't keep a dog but want a free canine friend for a day, go volunteer to walk the dogs at the local shelter. You'll be helping the overwhelmed staff, and you'll be giving the dogs some exercise, human contact, and hope without conning them that you are their new pack leader. It'll make you feel a lot better than this pets-as-prostitutes scam.
Reply
2-09-2009 @ 5:05PM
Anka said...
What do you think if one personel from the company cares the dog during rental period? Maybe this will help dog to feel safe in different homes with different people??
I mean families can rent a dog for two hours with a responsible worker for dog. So he/she can help dog and people to adopt each other. Children can play with dog confident.
A dog can serve 4 families per day with its person in charge..
Is it still wrong for a dog?
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