Ummm. I could never share a dog. AND I do think it would be confusing for
the pet.I do like the idea of people going to shelters and walking dogs, but
the
other-- no.
Sheila
In a message dated 8/5/2008 1:30:42 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
This was on my start up page of yahoo, not sure if anyone else read it. But
I think it's ridiculous! Talk about having a stressful and confused dog! I for
one, think this is wrong.
Monica Had 2 Families,
2 Names, Much Love;
Boston Bans Short Pooch Leases
By ANJALI ATHAVALEY
August 5, 2008; Page A1
Penny De Los Santos wanted a dog but traveled too much to care for one full
time. So, she opted for the next best thing: a time-share pet.
For two years, Ms. Santos shared a mellow female Husky mix with her
neighbors, who took the dog for about one week a month. They split veterinary
bills
and the cost of vaccinations and heartworm pills. The neighbors called the dog
Nika. Ms. Santos preferred the name Monica.
"It's kind of like Monica had two lives with two families," says the
39-year-old photographer in Austin, Texas.
About a year ago, Ms. Santos and her neighbors agreed that Ms. Santos was
finally in a position to take full responsibility for Monica. The neighbors
retain visiting rights.
For years, lots of dog lovers have gone without the companionship of man's
best friend because, for one reason or another, they felt they couldn't keep a
pet. Now, some are getting around obstacles by sharing ownership. And to
meet that growing demand, pet-lending services are proliferating. For
travelers,
some locations of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Fairmont
Raffles Hotels International Inc., and Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., a subsidiary of
Marriott International Inc., are offering guests the chance to take out
resident
dogs for hours at a time. Some animal shelters let dog lovers swing by and
take a pooch out for a day.
Short-term pet leasing, specifically, has drawn criticism that the practice
frays the traditional bond between man and dog. "From a social standpoint,
it's very hard on the animal," says Bonnie Beaver, professor at Texas A&M
University College of Veterinary Medicine, in College Station, and a past
president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dogs could develop
abnormal
behaviors such as obsessive licking and whining. Also, the practice "can
make them more leery of people," Dr. Beaver says.
Asensia Inc. in Big Sky, Mont., tried to capitalize on demand for shared
ownership of pets with its Flexpetz service, which was launched last year,
with
locations in New York, London, San Diego and Los Angeles. Flexpetz members
have taken dogs out for short periods of time for a $100 monthly membership
fee, plus $45 a day.
Lawmakers and animal-rights groups were quick to pounce, complaining that
Flexpetz was promoting dogs as accessories. To prevent the company from
opening
up shop in Boston, the City Council there early last month unanimously
passed an ordinance that prohibits the renting of dogs. The Massachusetts
legislature passed a similar bill last month, which has yet to be signed by
the
governor. State Rep. Paul Frost, a Republican who introduced the bill, has two
dogs -- Snickers and Reeses.
"They are members of the family, and you do have a special bond with them,"
he says. Dogs, he says, "react better to an environment where they have
stability."
Asensia two weeks ago said it is shelving the Flexpetz service in the U.S.
and London, "until we can get a better understanding on how this legislation
may affect future growth," Chief Executive Marlena Cervantes said in an email.
Flexpetz dogs, which live in day care when they aren't being taken out by
their temporary owners, will be adopted by members, she added.
Informal Arrangements
Critics are more tolerant of informal pet-sharing arrangements among friends
and neighbors. "It's not a profit-making enterprise," says Wayne Pacelle,
president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, "and there are
smaller numbers of people involved in the animal's life."
People who have participated in dog shares say it's important to set rules
from the beginning. Betsy Bunn, 69, and her husband, Franklin, share ownership
of Jimmi, a 2-year-old puggle, with their neighbors two houses down in
Auburndale, Mass. They agreed from the start to split all dog-related costs.
Jimmi's two families try to give him a regular schedule. Each morning, he
takes a
walk with Ms. Bunn and spends his days with either of the two families,
depending on who is free to take care of him. He sleeps at the neighbors'
house
every night and eats the same chow in both homes.
The families have agreed to not give him table scraps, in order to
discourage begging at the table. And both of the owners' phone numbers are on
Jimmi's
tag, in case of emergency. "Jimmi has two houses," says Ms. Bunn, a retired
hospice social worker. "He's more fortunate than most of us."
The perks of dog-sharing for humans are also clear. People who may want to
share or borrow a dog are mostly motivated by the short-term companionship it
provides, says Herb Nieburg, a psychologist in Stonington, Conn., who has
written a book on pet loss. Some people may even think they are doing
something
altruistic by devoting their time to an animal -- even if it's temporary. "It
makes you feel good about the world around you," he says. "It may be a short
bond, but it's a real bond."
Christina Gomez-Mira The Keydel family -- Suvi Aika, her son Hansi
Keydel and husband, Stefan Keydel -- shared ownership of Monica, a Husky mix,
with
their neighbor Penny De Los Santos (right).
Spending time with a dog can be a stress reliever. D. Scott Farmer, a
55-year-old tax adviser from Denver, often stays at the Fairmont Hotel
Vancouver on
business trips. He often takes out the hotel's K-9 Ambassadors, yellow Labs
Mavis and Beau, for hourlong walks at a nearby park and along the sea wall.
Occasionally, he lets them off the leash so they can play. "It's sanity time,"
he says. "It's very relaxing. It energizes you."
Staying in Touch
For those who just can't bear to part with their part-time pet, some
dog-lending services have come up with creative solutions. At Fairmont hotels
in
Quebec City, Boston and Vancouver, resident dogs have their own email
addresses
so that they are available for correspondence afterward. Rita Fortin stayed
at the Fairmont in Quebec City in May with her husband while on vacation and
was so taken with Santol, Fairmont's ambassador dog, that she contacted him
afterward. "We've shared emails, and he's gorgeous," says Ms. Fortin, 65, a
part-time nurse in Bay City, Mich.
"It's wonderful that you can live there," she wrote to Santol. She received
a response through email: "I'm glad I got to meet you." (A Fairmont spokesman
says the concierge or another hotel staffer usually answers emails addressed
to the K-9 Ambassadors -- and tries to write them from the dogs'
perspective."
Popular pooches in existing dog-lending programs are often booked solid. At
the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, in Beaver Creek, Colo., resident yellow Lab
Bachelor is booked for dates with guests up to a month in advance. The Aspen
Animal Shelter in Colorado, which allows tourists to take out dogs for a
day, says it has to turn people away in the summer.
A short-term spark between man and dog can lead to a long-term friendship.
In early July, while on a bus in Aspen, vacationers David Skibell, 67, and his
wife, Rochelle, 66, noticed a woman with a border collie mix. The woman told
them she had taken out the dog -- Sophia -- for a day from the Aspen Animal
Shelter.
The couple took Sophia out the next day and expected to return her before
the shelter closed. Instead, they fell in love and decided to adopt her.
Sophia
was shipped to Houston immediately and was renamed Aspen Belle, since the
couple met her on a bus going to the Maroon Bells, a mountain in Colorado. "I
never thought we'd have another dog," says Mr. Skibell, an orthodontist. "We
really just thought it would be a nice thing to do to give the dog an outing."
**************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget?
Read reviews on AOL Autos.
(http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017
)
