Pet Rentals

[asterroc]

Ever heard of rental pets? I hadn't either until Dolittler pointed it out. Apparently they're targeting my lovely state next.

I am writing to you today regarding the House act “An Act Prohibiting the Renting of Pets” (H.D. 4864). My name is ***, and I am **occupation** in **location**, and I live and vote in **location**.

Pets are an important addition to our quality of life, and many of us view them as family members. Even Presidential candidates talk about their pets as they promote their candidacy for office. However, as humans it is our job to be stewards for them, as they cannot speak for themselves. Hence I am writing to you today about the disturbing new practice of "rental pets" by companies such as the FlexPets (http://www.flexpetz.com/) and their attempt to make inroads into our state.

Services such as pet-sitting while on vacation and dog-walking during the day while we are at work are important. These services allow the animals customary caretaker to provide care to our animals while we are out of town or unable to do so, while still allowing our animals to live in a stable loving home. A rental pet company on the other hand, treats animals as disposable toys, to be put away (or put down!) when the owner does not have the time or energy for the animal.

Besides such a service shifting the public viewpoint of animals from creatures in our care to commodities, the individuals animals in question do not have stable loving homes, and instead are constantly shipped from one home to another. Imagine if we started renting out human children the same way! Ultimately, a culture that believes in the disposability of pets is one destined to suffer strain on its public and private resources through increased pet abandonment.

I urge you to evaluate “An Act Prohibiting the Renting of Pets” (H.D. 4864) proposed by Massachusetts State Representative Paul Frost, and similar legislature in the Senate, with these cautions in mind. Please ask Rep. Angelo Scaccia and the Senate as well to move “An Act Prohibiting the Renting of Pets” (H.D. 4864) without delay into the appropriate committee. Passing such an act would send a message not only to companies who would exploit our pets in novel ways, it would also serve as a model for our entire country as to how responsible stewardship for pets is best achieved—by rejecting practices which would undermine their stable role in society.

Thank you for your time, and please feel free to contact me with any further questions you may have.

Send the email to your state Reps, and also the following people:
Rep.AngeloScaccia@Hou.State.MA.US
Rep.PaulFrost@Hou.State.MA.US
Rep.JohnFresolo@Hou.State.MA.US

And one more link
http://www.dogboston.com/blog/general/looking-for-action-on-anti-pet-rental-bill/

Comments

[q10.livejournal.com]

buying puppy-mill dogs directly competes with adoption and supports the creation of more puppy mill dogs. it is more likely that pet rental consumers are drawn at least in part from the ranks of those who would not be able to consider full-time dog ownership - they're putting resources into the system that would otherwise go unutilized.

even if these particular dogs would've found a full-time home instead, they're freeing up those homes for the next round of adoptable dogs.

further, it sounds like these dogs are well trained, of good character, and in good health in large part because of the money FlexPets puts into them.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

It's more the culture of casual pet ownership that is bothering me. I view it that this service is legitimizing the idea that pets can be obtained and then gotten rid of when you tire of them. Someone who subscribes to this service as their first encounter with a pet, or children of people who use it, may mistakenly think they can handle full-time pet ownership and then end up getting a dog that they abandon when they realize what it actually takes.

On the other hand, I'm thinking about comparing this to the Big Brothers/Sisters programs. People who want to work with kids but don't want to have one could sign up as a Big Sib. It seems somewhat similar to that concept. Except that if these people want to spend their time with dogs but not be owners, they could instead volunteer at a shelter, so instead having them rent a pet draws that resource away from shelters.

[q10.livejournal.com]

do you really believe that the state has the moral authority to prohibit things on the basis of their symbolizing a bad cultural trend? i find this a little terrifying.

[q10.livejournal.com]

for that matter, a lot of couples go through phases of staying overnight and of living together for a matter of a few months or a year before, starting to entangle their finances and getting rings and doing the other things that in our society tend to go with a lifetime relationship - yes, no one step guarantees that the next will work, but a lot of us still find that alternative better than jumping into maximal commitment totally blind.

[sammka.livejournal.com]

Don't you think that people who rent a dog will actually be MORE aware of what it takes to own a pet than someone who's never cared for a pet at all?

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

I wonder what percentage of first-time pet owners actually did research about what it takes to own a pet prior to getting the pet? The image I had in my head was that a person getting a pet would do research and have a good idea what it takes to own a pet, while a "renter" would instead assume that his experience (having food for the dog handed to him and never having to take the pet to the vet) would be the norm. I could very well be mistaken about most new pet owners doing research though, sadly, so you could be correct.

[sammka.livejournal.com]

It is NOT the norm for people to do serious research about what it takes to take care of a pet. At least in my experience. This is exacerbated by commercial sale of pets, which imho is therefore much worse for promoting responsible pet ownership than renting. I imagine the Humane Society wouldn't have to put out as many "don't buy baby pets as presents" pamphlets otherwise.

A large percentage of pet owners also don't take their pets to the vet at all. At least renters'd have some experience having to feed, water, and walk the animals. More than what a lot of people experience. And while they might not know how to train the animals either, if they adopt the same pet they rented, it would theoretically not be as much of an issue - they'd be getting a pre-trained pet.