A View on Pet Rentals: Part 1

Posted by Mia Carter Jul 7, 2008

Today, I nearly choked on my drink when I overheard a discussion in the newsroom of the newsradio station where I work. It was about pet rentals. "Pet what?" I spat. "Rentals - like you rent a dog for a couple of hours or a weekend," the reporter explained. "Like a car or a hotel room?? You've got to be kidding me!"

But kidding he was not. A company, whose name I won't mention at the risk of providing free advertising to these creatons, is now seeking to expand into Boston. People can rent a pet for a few hours, a day, or longer. The company touts "shared dog ownership concept that provides our members with access to a variety of [company] dogs...dogs complete obedience training...dogs are also certified as therapy dogs."

Okay, so they're certified as therapy dogs for others, but who's going to pay for therapy for the pet? I have worked in animal rescue, training and rehabilitation for years. I've worked at animal shelters where I've helped damaged and broken souls, victims of abuse, instability and neglect. And I cannot begin to imagine the negative effect that "rental" would have on an animal. It's appalling. The lack of stability, the inability to genuinely bond with a human, the inconsistency in schedule - so damaging. Have any of the people who developed this concept ever actually (responsibly) owned a dog? Obviously not, because they would clearly understand how damaging "rental" would be to an animal's psyche. I expect that within a few months of use as a "rental" pet, these animals will be well on their way to developing issues with aggression, insecurity, anxiety, and all sorts of other issues that will take years to work through. All due to the complete lack of life structure and stability....Part 2