The company — FlexPetz — started in California, but will soon be bringing its operation to New York.
This is not for the people on a budget. There is a yearly fee of $99.95, a monthly fee of $49.95, plus a daily rental (sorry, I know the company's owner doesn't like that term) fee of either $39.95 or $24.95 per day for weekends or weekdays, respectively.
Plus sales tax.
Plus a one-time fee of $150 for a pre-dog-rental one-hour training session in which you are to learn everything you need to know about taking care of and training a dog.
I was initially amused by the concept, but the more I think about it, the more I am totally against it.
Sure, some dogs might not mind having a different person on the other end of the lease every day. Perhaps a few dogs won't mind being sent back to a kennel after spending a weekend frolicking in the park.
The lack of consistency could mean that the dog will get harder and harder to handle as time goes by.
Let's say you join the service and commit (irony alert) to renting a dog for the minimum amount of days per month, based on the higher weekend day rate.
Here's what you cough up:
$150 training feePlus sales tax.
$99.95 yearly account maintenance
$49.95 per month for 12 months = $599.40
$39.95 per day x 24 days = $958.80
Total for the year = $1,808.15
If you have that much disposable cash and really care about dogs, how about contributing to your local dog shelter? How about volunteering at the shelter to walk dogs?
Yes, I know there are probably some people for whom this might be a good idea. But, there are too many negatives to think that this is good for anyone other than the person running the business.
Any other opinions out there?
2 comments:
I agree, Michael, this seems like a bad idea that benefits the rent-a-pet people only.
Dogs are pack animals. Shuttling between strangers runs counter to pack mentality and probably is not psychologically beneficial to the pups. Like you, I'm the proud owner of a shelter dog. On the few occasions we've had to board her, she's gone into a major funk at being separated from her family.
And we all know that one of basic tenets of good dog training is consistency. Part-time ownership certainly doesn't lend itself to that!
I too think that money would be better spent contributing to a local animal shelter. Even better, stop by and volunteer to walk those homeless pooches to give them a little exercise.
I also agree, this is the dumbest idea I have yet heard of. Having a pet takes a real commitment and this idea seems to treat a pet like just another article or object to be used then disposed of? Absolutely a bad idea. Where is PETA in all this?
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