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NEW YORK - For busy people longing for the companionship of a pet but unable to care for one full-time, renting a dog may provide a solution.
Man's best friend can be rented for periods ranging from a day to a week, or adopted, through Flexpetz, a Wilmington, Delaware-based company which has 10 dogs on its books.
Marlena Cervantes, the founder of Flexpetz, got the idea for the project while working as a behavioral therapist with autistic children whom she encouraged to pet dogs to provide a sensory input.
"I developed it as a way to share ownership of my personal dogs with my client families," Cervantes said in an interview.
"I was urged and motivated to make it available to the general population because several of my colleagues had expressed a desire to own dogs and an inability to do so."
The rental service, which Cervantes started in March, is available in Los Angeles and San Diego.
Over the next six months she plans to expand to New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, D.C. and London.
For a monthly membership fee, an annual account maintenance charge, a one-time payment for the mandatory introduction session and daily costs, members can rent a pooch.
A trainer explains how to take care of the dog during the introductory session.
But not everyone agrees that renting dogs is a good idea.
"Flexpetz is a business so it's out to make money, but we believe it does so at the expense of the psychological well-being of the animals it uses to make a profit," said Daphna Nachminovitch, a spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Norfolk, Virginia.
"Animals are not video games. They are individuals with personalities and quirks and needs and they all share the need of needing stability and one consistent place to call home," she added in an interview.
Cervantes admits that renting is not suitable for all dogs but said her animals are extremely happy.
"We carefully select the dogs for temperament and personality and we make sure that they are highly social dogs ... when they go out on the weekend it's like going home with a favourite aunt and uncle."
- REUTERS
