Pet Tips

Recently, KGO Radio spent an hour with the owner of a company that will be setting up shop in San Francisco. Their service: a rent-a-pet. People who want a fur fix without a full-time commitment can pay for it. The company keeps dogs on hand to rent by the hour, day, weekend or longer. As you might imagine, the KGO phone lines were flooded; thankfully, the great majority of callers were irate and commented on the idea’s absurdity. The owner, however, stuck to her guns. Isn’t being rented out better than getting euthanized at a shelter, she asked. That might be an argument if the animals getting euthanized in San Francisco shelters were healthy, adoptable, well-behaved pets. They’re not. The dogs euthanized in San Francisco have significant medical conditions or behavioral issues. They’re very sick, aggressive or broken by abuse or neglect. The same is true here, where PHS/SPCA guarantees a home for every healthy, adoptable dog and cat. Without question, unadoptable dogs would not be rent-a-pet candidates. This point was missed during the show. Another is that dogs thrive with stability and routine and love bonding with their family. No dog would prefer bouncing from person to person. For folks in search of a fur fix, we have the ideal solution: volunteer at your local shelter. Had I been able to get through, I would have offered this advice on air. All Bay Area shelters need more helping hands; people to walk dogs, cuddle cats, groom animals and work on commands to improve their adoption potential. And volunteers get much more than a fur fix: the satisfaction of helping a homeless pet find his or her forever home. All this, free of charge!