Dogs For Hire

Yes it's true. Can't be bothered to take responsibility for a dog but want all the positive aspects of dog ownership? Why not just rent one when the fancy takes you? Perhaps there's someone you find attractive that you often see walking their dog? The obvious answer is to hire a pooch then you can 'bump into' your hearts desire while out walking 'your' dog. You get into conversation and live happily ever after. Except of course the dog. They have to go back to the hire centre to await the next client.

This business is already in existence in California and was reported in yesterdays Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail :-

Dog lovers who do not have the time or space to keep a full-time pet are being offered the chance to hire a part-time one. Marlena Cervantes supplies dogs by the day or the weekend, and says her service, FlexPetz, is like a holiday time-share."Our members are responsible in that they realise full-time ownership is not an option," said Miss Cervantes, 32, a behavioural therapist who came up with the idea when working with animals and autistic children. The service is currently available in Los Angeles and San Diego, but Miss Cervantes hopes to open in London by the end of the year. Members pay an annual fee of £50, a monthly subscription of £25, and £20 per visit by "their" dog. The fees include leads, bowls, beds and food which are supplied for every trip.Miss Cervantes says her dogs ideally are shared by only two or three "owners", and live in a kennel the rest of the time. Student Shari Gonzalez, 22, who lives in a small flat, shares a black labrador called Jackpot which spends one day every weekend with her."I never even thought that was a possibility," she said. "I thought you either owned a dog or you didn't." One of Jackpot's other "owners", Jenny Goddard, who is married with a six-year-old son, said the dog encourages the family to spend more time together outdoors."He is so friendly and playful that people are surprised he is a rental dog," she said.Miss Cervantes has ten rental dogs including Afghan hounds, labradors and Boston terriers. "They get undivided attention from our members because it is the only time they have together," she said.

That says it all you would think but no, there's more. Where do they get their dogs from? The answer is that most if not all of these unfortunate animals are rescue dogs and probably cost Miss Cervantes nothing except possibly a small donation to the rescue centre. That might be a shrewd business move but is it ethical?

Let's examine what's going on here. A dog who, let's not forget, is a pack animal. Has already had a bad start in life perhaps they were abused, abandoned had 'behavioural problems' that their previous owners were unable or unwilling to resolve or, if they were 'lucky' perhaps their owner died. In any event the dogs find themselves in a centre full of other stressed dogs. They are then passed on to Miss Cervantes who 'trains them' before hiring them out.

Most of these rescue centres give as their main aim, 'Animal Welfare with a view to rehoming.' How they they can justify passing animals that are already 'damaged goods' to be moved around from pillar to post, and from pack to pack, to be rented and returned at a whim just to make a profit is beyond me.

Do these people listen to themselves? 'Miss Cervantes says her dogs ideally are shared by only two or three owners", and live in a kennel the rest of the time.' And that's the ideal is it Miss Cervantes? The already traumatised dog who has no reason to trust humans is only moved between three changing locations or is kept in a kennel. Hmmm some good bonding able to take place there. I would like to know what proportion of these dogs fall into the 'ideal' classification and even more important what happens to those who don't. Do they get shared by five people, ten people or are they the workshop spare available for hire if someone's already booked your favourite out for a week. Perhaps they wanted to go hiking? Another quote which has a large amount of truth in it even if the speaker didn't realise it at the time. Student Shari Gonzalez, 22, who lives in a small flat, shares a black labrador called Jackpot which spends one day every weekend with her."I never even thought that was a possibility," she said. "I thought you either owned a dog or you didn't." You're absolutely right Miss Gonzalez so what are you doing playing with a dogs emotions?

If these people want to have a relationship with dogs but can't do it full time then they can volunteer to help at their local rescue centre that way everybody wins and hopefully the dogs have only one kennel experience before being properly rehomed. If someone just wants a dog as a toy or fashion accessory purely because they can afford it then I say. That's a hell of a price to pay just to be stylish.

When I first picked up on this story I was going to title this post 'Only in America' or 'Only in California' and then I saw that this Lady is bringing her business to London. I think we all know the type of person who will be using her services. Should she be allowed to start trading. I wonder whereabouts in Chelsea, Notting Hill or Islington she'll set up shop?

The duty of every right minded person, dog owner or not, is to ensure that rescue centres in the UK do not pass on any animal to a commercial venture. They should also object to their Local Authority if any like minded business tries to start trading in their area.

This business is wrong in every way and must not be allowed to succeed.