New Business Idea: Pet Sharing
The Wall Street Journal reports on the growing trend of "pet sharing." The article discusses how large hotel chains are organizing this service and how neighborhoods are setting up their own systems of sharing dogs among the residents. Of course, some entrepreneurs have found ways to turn this trend into an enterprise.
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.
Zipcar has found success with car-sharing programs in major urban areas. So why not have a Zipcar-like program for pets? People's lives are only getting busier. Plus, high gas prices and redeveloping urban centers are pushing people into denser living arrangements. One idea for new enterprises is to extend the model of Zipcar and Flexpetz to other goods that many people don't have the time or space to own.
Tags: small business | pets | animals
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Reader Comments
Rent cars, not dogs!
Matthew, where are your critical thinking skills? Hotel dogs, or "canine ambassadors," have the stable home environment and consistent, committed caregiving that all dogs require. While hotel dogs may interract with many people over the course of a day, as therapy dogs do, there is one person they call "alpha." Boston's famed Katie Copley is the family pet of her hotel's head concierge.
In contrast, Flexpetz dogs are pimped out to a variety of people, spending a few hours here, a few days there. Their environment, routines and caregivers are constantly changing. Consider the dog who's rewarded for lounging on one renter's sofa but swatted with a newspaper (or worse) for doing the same in the next renter's home. Confusing? Stressful? You bet. And animal behaviorists warn that stress often triggers aggression.
What then? The renter or an unsuspecting kid in a park is bitten and an otherwise good dog is killed. Does your homeowner's policy cover your assets if your rental dog takes someone's face off?
People need to think beyond their own short attention spans and commitmentphobia. (See Doonesbury, August 3, 2008.) No time for a pet? Then do without. Or help an infirm or elderly neighbor walk theirs. Or volunteer at a shelter.
A dog is NOT a ZipCar and shouldn't be treated as one. That's why the ASPCA, HSUS, Animal Law Coalition and animal behavior, welfare and law experts denounce Flexpetz--and why pet renting is now illegal in Massachusetts.
Kazeluvh
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