Where Has Responsibility Gone?

By: Arment Dietrich | April 4, 2008 |

Blog written by Morgan Smith

Want to enjoy the company of man’s best friend without all that pesky responsibility? Just go to New York and stop by your local Flexpetz.

Now, just like Hertz, Enterprise, or one of 100 other car rental businesses, you can rent a dog for the day out of this new Manhattan business.

Rent a dog? You ask. How does that work? And what happens to the dog when your day is up? It’s very simple, really. You fill out a form and answer what the owner describes as “a lot of questions.” Then you get to take a dog out for the day. When your day is up, you bring the animal back. Done and done.

While I’m sure the business owner means well in this case, is this really as good an idea as the author makes it out to be? Not just for the animals involved, but their “renters” or owners for a day? I think the spin used by the author to gloss over important issues such as responsibility, accountability, and loyalty needs to be removed and a closer look taken at this issue.

The part I find ridiculous is while a “rent a dog for a day” idea sounds interesting, the article glosses over the fact that people in society today are always looking for the instant gratification and shirking anything that has to do with responsibility. Many people have a great and meaningful relationship with their pets, caring for them as if they were a member of the family. This just cheapens that experience and makes it that much less meaningful to those with pets.

Renting a dog for the day not only reinforces a “me me me” attitude, but also allows for people, especially renters, to get a huge misconception of what the responsibilities are for owning a pet. The owner says the business is to try and find homes for the dogs that are rented out, but how much can one really understand and learn about caring for a dog if they are due back by 6:00 p.m.

I fear this is the tip of the iceberg for a generation that is increasingly removed from any sense of accountability or responsibility. While some might not see this issue as a big deal, I ask, what is the next step in the progression? Rent a child for a day?