Rent a Pet

[AlmostThere]

While sitting at the Dr's office today I had plenty of time to read through one of the many magazines. I believe the one this article was from was Red Book. Not sure what month, but had Mariah Carey on the front.
Anyway, I read an article from a woman that is off work 4 mons. a year and wants a dog, but wouldn't be able to care for it the rest of the year. So she wants to rent a dog from a shelter and thinks that's a great idea.
I feel it's a horrible! How cruel to take in a pet and get it use to you, your home, love etc. and then take it back to a shelter where another person with a totally different personality, home etc can rent it, then make it adjust to their whims. I do hope this never happens.
I realize that some 'rescue' places do this until a permanent home can be found, but I don't feel this is the same at all. Just wondering your opinion.

[Bethers]

There is actually a place I read about that allows people to do the "rent a pet" thing. However, it's expensive, and the pets are very carefully screened for this - and go back to the same people over and over again. I'm not sure how I like the idea - but if done right (not sure it could be) maybe it can work.

I know there are motels that have cats (and one I know of has a house dog) that goes with people sometimes to their rooms - the pets love it. So, maybe it can work. I just think it has the potential of danger if not really, really carefully monitored.

But I give people credit who know they can't care for a pet all the time. The first place I heard of doing this, the person picks up the dog on Friday afternoons, returns it Sunday night - and the dog spends all week with it's "host" family, I think they called it - so it's pretty stable - just the 2 places, for that dog.

If you can't tell, I'm with you on this - don't like the idea - cuz I think it's full of nightmares and problems waiting to happen.

[Mollysmom]

When I was in Hawaii, you could rent a shelter dog for an hour - people would take them out for walks and to play. I like that idea.
I read about a place that has lots of cats and you can pay to hang out with a cat for a few hours - I like that idea too because the cat stays in the same place, just different people.
Not sure about the rent a pet - I think it'd be confusing for the dog. Maybe people could share the care - one person owns the pet for a few months and the other person owns it for the rest of the year ?!
A person who can't own a pet full time could foster pets or just volunteer at a shelter - that way they'd get a "pet fix" and help out a dog or cat in need too !
Interesting topic