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I'm just wondering if any of you saw this article on "pet renting" and what you think about it.
Rent-a-Pet
- Thread starter Poke
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I have to say I'm not a fan of this service. I feel like it just reinforces the idea that animals are disposable. What's next renting children because they are fun on weekends but you travel too much to have them full time and maybe some days you don't feel like caring for them? One of the reasons there are so many shelter animals is because some people still feel like it's no big deal to give animals up when they get tired of caring for them. I think we as a society should focus more on teaching people how to care for and value their animals, not give them another way to avoid responsibility.
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At first I thought, "Oh, that's like leasing a horse." But when I read the article I found that, no, that's nothing like leasing a horse. It's much more like the zipcar analogy they give in the article. Renting makes sense for cars and condos, but this is much more akin to renting a child. No one would suggest that (God, I hope). So what about the wellbeing of the pet? They are fully capable of forming emotional attachments and I think this is extremely unfair to the animals.
Which may sound hypocritical, because I fully believe in the importance of animal research. But I feel that animal research is a necessary thing (depite the fact that it's not exactly a pleasant concept) given the current state of our technology and the extreme medical need. To me, pets are a different realm. The clients of this service are theoretically people who want these animals as companions, yet they must not mind that the animals are treated with little regard.
Which may sound hypocritical, because I fully believe in the importance of animal research. But I feel that animal research is a necessary thing (depite the fact that it's not exactly a pleasant concept) given the current state of our technology and the extreme medical need. To me, pets are a different realm. The clients of this service are theoretically people who want these animals as companions, yet they must not mind that the animals are treated with little regard.
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I'd be more for this if it wasn't so much for profit. Our local shelter has a walk a hound, lose a pound program where people go and walk a shelter dog on Saturday mornings. You can also volunteer to be a dog walker during shelter hours and walk on the nearby trail. It'd be neat to expand it to maybe people who like going walking or running after dark and they'd like a large dog for a deterrent, but maybe live in an apartment that doesn't allow dogs. That'd be great for the German shepherds, Rottweilers, pit bulls, huskies etc in a rescue or shelter situation to get some exercise. But just renting a dog to pick up chicks or to have a status symbol is a mistake.
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Wow, that's an interested way to "market" volunteering. What a great idea!
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This actual business sounds awful. Nothing about the pets but all about the money.
My local humane societies have "Rent a Pet" days and I think they are great. For people who love dogs but maybe can't have one because of living in an apartment or what not. They teamed up with the local dog park and you can go to the humane society, borrow a pet for a few hours, and take him to the dog park to run around. The dog gets exercise, the shelter gets recognition, and the people get to play with a pet they normally couldnt. A win, win, win.
Also fostering animals for a rescue group is also basically "renting a pet" you keep it until the group finds a home for it and thats wonderful too!
My local humane societies have "Rent a Pet" days and I think they are great. For people who love dogs but maybe can't have one because of living in an apartment or what not. They teamed up with the local dog park and you can go to the humane society, borrow a pet for a few hours, and take him to the dog park to run around. The dog gets exercise, the shelter gets recognition, and the people get to play with a pet they normally couldnt. A win, win, win.
Also fostering animals for a rescue group is also basically "renting a pet" you keep it until the group finds a home for it and thats wonderful too!
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Since I loooove to play devil's advocate 
....
What about the benefit this could provide to families who are thinking about getting a dog, but are not sure if they could handle the commitment? The could "try out" having a dog for a few weeks, as see if it meets their schedule/lifestyle/etc.
That way, instead of just going and adopting a dog that is wrong for them and have the dog suffer because it is stuck in an unfit household, the family will realize that having a dog at this point would not be good for them.
....What about the benefit this could provide to families who are thinking about getting a dog, but are not sure if they could handle the commitment? The could "try out" having a dog for a few weeks, as see if it meets their schedule/lifestyle/etc.
That way, instead of just going and adopting a dog that is wrong for them and have the dog suffer because it is stuck in an unfit household, the family will realize that having a dog at this point would not be good for them.
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In theory that's great, but couldn't a fostering program at a local humane society provide the same thing for less money and through less profit-driven means?
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This is what I just did when I was adopting my new cat (he's so cute--enormous and grey all over). I wasn't sure his personality would work out with my first kitty (she's a primadonna if ever there was one!) so we fostered first. I was able to have him for 3 weeks before we committed. So this is definitely an option.
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In theory that's great, but couldn't a fostering program at a local humane society provide the same thing for less money and through less profit-driven means?
Yes, I agree that is indeed the rub. IF the money was being domnated back to shelters or something, that would be different. You make a good point. I was focusing more on the whole theory of the thing (ie, does it make pets dispensable, or does it help peoplelearn?) not where to money went. Overall, my opinion on the practice by itself is positive, but thet fact it is a profit agency is negative.
Yes, I agree that is indeed the rub. IF the money was being domnated back to shelters or something, that would be different. You make a good point. I was focusing more on the whole theory of the thing (ie, does it make pets dispensable, or does it help peoplelearn?) not where to money went. Overall, my opinion on the practice by itself is positive, but thet fact it is a profit agency is negative.
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I can understand the idea behind the business, and the founder probably (and I say again PROBABLY) believes in what she's doing, but in practicality it's ridiculous. She said that it wasn't a fad or status symbol, but if people were really into it for the pet, why don't they volunteer at a shelter? She says in the article how these pets are better off than being in shelters... now this is more than likely true, but shouldn't we be trying to reinforce the idea of responsible pet ownership and population control? If people took care of their animals and got them spayed (or neutered), then there wouldn't be so many shelter animals in the first place.
My friend resuced a kitten from the storm drain two nights ago. It is one of the sweetest kittens I've seen. She was able to find a good home for it, but she called the shelter in her town and they said they had a 24 hr policy. My mouth dropped when I heard that (there is no non-euthanizing shelters over there). Sorry, I digress...
As for the article, I agree with others. This is sending the wrong message to people. Children will be next on the list... This service doesn't teach people about responsibility. It teaches them that they can have their cake and eat it too. When it gets too hard or inconviences them, they can just drop the dog off. She expects me to pay $850 and I don't even get to see the dog? If I wanted the dog for every Saturday for a year I have to pay $2080? I understand she has to board, feed, train, and care for the dogs, but I just gave her almost $3000 in one year! It doesn't cost THAT much for maintenance of dog (unless they get pretty sick).
Ok, sorry, I need to get back to my wonderful review article I'm writing on the evolution of life-history traits in snakes...
Laters...
-Snakegal
My friend resuced a kitten from the storm drain two nights ago. It is one of the sweetest kittens I've seen. She was able to find a good home for it, but she called the shelter in her town and they said they had a 24 hr policy. My mouth dropped when I heard that (there is no non-euthanizing shelters over there). Sorry, I digress...
As for the article, I agree with others. This is sending the wrong message to people. Children will be next on the list... This service doesn't teach people about responsibility. It teaches them that they can have their cake and eat it too. When it gets too hard or inconviences them, they can just drop the dog off. She expects me to pay $850 and I don't even get to see the dog? If I wanted the dog for every Saturday for a year I have to pay $2080? I understand she has to board, feed, train, and care for the dogs, but I just gave her almost $3000 in one year! It doesn't cost THAT much for maintenance of dog (unless they get pretty sick).
Ok, sorry, I need to get back to my wonderful review article I'm writing on the evolution of life-history traits in snakes...
Laters...
-Snakegal
