Dogs For Rent

It could be a solution for dog lovers who, for one reason or another, are unable to keep a dog for a long period of time. A California company is letting people rent pooches on a short term basis, and its changing the way people take home that doggie in the window. It seems you can rent just about anything these days: an apartment, a car, you can rent a movie. But before Marlena Cervantes launched her business, FlexPetz, there really wasnt an opportunity to be a part-time pet owner. "Basically, we connect dog lovers with dogs in need of homes, and every time a member takes out one of our dogs its like Christmas everyday," Cervantes says. Cervantes says she doesnt like the term "pet rental." She says what FlexPetz offers is shared pet ownership. The way it works is members pay a fee to take out a dog for a couple hours to a few days. Its tail-made for the person who doesnt have the time or space for a full-time pet. "Theyre fully vetted every three months. Theyre fed top quality dog food. Theyre connected with people who love dogs, and theyre just showered and lavished with love and attention," Cervantes says. Any pet owner will tell you tking care of a dog is plenty of work, which is why dog owner Jed Larkin thinks short-term pet ownership might be a good idea for some. "For somebody full-time or part-time. If somebody gets some love out of it, the dog gets some care," Larkin says. But dog owner Bob Lenz is skeptical. "My only concern would be the dogs themselves having to transfer between owners, because dogs get attached to their owner,s and I think it might be hard on the dog," he says. Cervantes says all her dogs and customers are pre-screened and pre-trained. The rest, as they say, is a walk in the park.