A dog that's not for life
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By Megan Lane
BBC News Magazine |
Gucci, an 18-month-old pomeranian, is a fluffy ball of fun who loves walks in the park. And he can be your dog - for a price - as part of a new service renting out canine companions.
 Gucci can be yours - temporarily |
Living in London, with a garden not much bigger than a picnic blanket and a working day lengthened by a long commute, it seems unfair to own a dog. But wouldn't it be nice to have a furry friend to take for walkies?
To the average British animal lover, the idea of canine timeshare might jar a little. A dog is famously for life, not just for Christmas. Shelters are full of forlorn dogs, surrendered by owners who found themselves without the time or effort to look after an animal.
So perhaps there is sense in the dog hire company Flexpetz opening a branch in London, its first outside the US. There the business is well established, with dogs-for-hire in New York, San Diego and Los Angeles.
To borrow a dog for four days a month costs a tail-drooping monthly fee of £279 in the UK (in the US, it's $279.95) - plus extra for drop-off and collection, if needed. The company says the high cost of maintaining and paying for vets' bill explains the disparity. The target clientele in London will be much like those who have signed up in Los Angeles and New York - urbanites whose busy lives make full-time pet ownership difficult. So far it says 100 have pre-registered in London.
Gucci is the first and only canine recruit to London's Flexpetz, but more will be available soon, says Pippa Woolard, the company's UK representative, who will run orientation sessions and arrange the pomeranian's movements around the capital. The New York branch usually has five dogs.
 Families with young children are among the target clientele |
Most Flexpetz dogs in the US have been given up by their owners, who no longer have time to spend with their pets. Others are ex-show dogs or breeders.
Chelsea McNabb is a Los Angeles-based actress and Flexpetz customer with an extremely varied schedule, but who aspires to eventually looking after an animal full time.
"I had considered adopting a dog a few years back, but decided against it because the idea of first-time-dog-ownership was a bit intimidating.
"Typically I spend time with this beautiful coonhound named Sasha. She is very, very, smart. We regularly hike together at many trails adjacent to Hollywood/ Santa Monica mountains. Once I took a Cocker Spaniel named Stevie, who I liked a lot too. But Sasha fits my lifestyle better with the hiking so now I only spend time with Sasha."
Once she has a house with a garden, she hopes to take full ownership of a dog like Sasha. And this is something that is encouraged by the firm.
"The hope is that a member will fall in love and adopt it, once they've seen if a dog will fit into their lifestyle," says Ms Woolard. All of the dogs are available for adoption, at a price subject to negotiation, if a customer finds that a permanent dog does fit into their lifestyle.
It only takes an hour in Gucci's company for my three-year-old to regard him as her dog. And vice versa. "He takes everyone he meets into his pack," says Ms Woolard, as small dog and small girl nuzzle noses.
As thunderclouds gather over London's Green Park to curtail our dog walking, she is reluctant to relinquish control of the lead. A bottom lip trembles. "But I don't want to give him back. I love him."
Unconditional love
Also keen to shower Gucci with love and puppy treats is Huwgh Taylor, a wine buyer who lives in a Chelsea flat, who plans long walks in London's parks to get fit. He heard about the scheme from a friend who travels to New York on business.
 |  Most dogs need the security of a proper routine with one owner  |
"I saw they were hoping to open in London and put my name down for pre-registration. I work long and unsocial hours, which would make it incredibly unfair on any animal, especially a dog.
"When I was growing up I had a German shepherd collie cross. This scheme means I can have the companionship of a dog without having to leave it alone while I am at work."
And the whole idea of renting a pet fits into modern lifestyle trends. The US economist Jeremy Rifkin suggests in his book the Age of Access that the world was moving away from an emphasis on owning things to renting being the norm.
It may be hard to see how you might get true companionship from a pet that you only see for four days a month.
And animal behaviour experts worry that shunting a dog between multiple owners will cause it distress. The RSPCA's man groans on hearing that the London branch is about to open.
"There will almost certainly be an emotional impact for the dogs as they are moved from owner to owner, from home to home, and then back again until someone decides they want them again," says veterinary adviser David McDowell.
 Learning to hold Gucci's lead |
"Most dogs need the security of a proper routine with one owner and without this they could become stressed and unhappy."
Instead of renting a pet, he advises that anyone desperate to spend time with a dog could volunteer for their local RSPCA branch or animal centre.
Flexpetz's founder Marlena Cervantes says only dogs with temperaments suited to the upheaval are chosen.
"Our ideal dogs are extremely social, not owner dependent, good with children and other animals. We carefully screen our dogs for temperament and social ability."
A former behaviour therapist for children with autism, she came up with the rent-a-dog concept after taking her Labrador along to several therapy sessions and seeing how enthusiastically her clients took to the dog.
"And I had many years experience sharing a pitbull/boxer mix named Valencia with my ex-boyfriend. It worked out for my dog to have two loving homes, and she was never left unattended."
Gucci, when not rented out mainly at weekends, will live with a carer. But not Ms Woolard. She is a cat person.
If people don't have time to care for a dog, then they don't have time. If they want to walk a dog they can go to a shelter, which desperately needs volunteers.
I want to know how people propose to control a dog with whom they are not bonded in unforeseen circumstances. It takes longer than a couple of hours to understand a particular canine's behaviour.
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