No Rent-a-Pet Here in the Commonwealth

As expected, you will not see pet rentals coming to Boston.

The Legislature has voted to make pet rentals illegal in Massachusetts.

The House voted 156-0 today to outlaw the practice. The Senate later followed suit with a voice vote.

Members argue that letting people house pets for short periods of time would amount to cruelty to animals, in part by confusing them about their owner. The Boston City Council passed its own ban after a pet rental company wanted to locate there.

The bill now moves to the desk of Gov. Deval Patrick. He has 10 days to decide whether to sign, veto or let the bill become law without action.

As I said a month ago, I fail to see how this can be deemed “cruelty to animals” based on confusing them about their owner, but shuttle children off to day care day in and day out, or shared custody situations between divorced parents is not cruel.

Once again, we seem to be caring more about the animals than people, and let’s face it, that’s pretty topsy-turvy. Sorry all you animal rights activisits, but people come first, not animals.

If what’s good enough for people isn’t good enough for animals, then where does it end?

Rent-a-Pet Coming To Boston?

Pet rentals in Boston? Boston City Council seems think the idea isn’t so hot.

Loaner Labs and borrowed beagles will be banned in Boston if the City Council chews to pieces the latest time-saving trend: dog rentals.

A proposed prohibition on cash-and-carry canine membership clubs like FlexPetz – an international agency that purports to be sniffing out locations in Boston – will be taken up at City Hall today at 1 p.m. by the council’s Committee on Government Operations.

“To rent a dog just seems wrong. It seems very self-indulgent,” said Councilor Michael Ross, the committee’s chairman. “I’m not for legislating morality, but it just seems like cruel and unusual treatment of a poor, defenseless animal.”

It does seem a little bizarre, and I can certainly envision animal rights activists having a fit over this.

FlexPetz – currently in New York, Los Angeles and London – pairs dog lovers whose lifestyle restrictions have them on a short leash with rescued and “rehomed” pooches for “Daily Doggy Time.”

To join, FlexPetz charges a $100 monthly membership fee. Members agree to purchase a minimum four $45 rentals per month. Their in-home training costs $150, on top of a $99 annual fee.

Jennifer Wooliscroft, spokeswoman for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, said, “We are against (renting dogs). It treats a living being as a commodity.”

Pet owners in town agree.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s weird,” said Rana Juster, 26, of Cambridge, playing fetch with her cockapoo Burger.

“It’s kind of crazy,” said Terry Kelly, 40, of Boston, strolling with Tek, a golden retriever-poodle mix. “I can see some guy picking up a pup to go out and pick up girls.”

Natalie Carpenter, 30, of Watertown said her big, beautiful chocolate lab Bella needs the kind of routine only a permanent, loving home can provide.

“She’s my life,” Carpenter said. “I bring her everywhere with me.”

Trish Kapur, 30, of Boston, enjoying a day of bonding with her cairn terrier Kona Bear, said, “I’d be interested in seeing how they take care of the dogs when they’re not being rented. Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean people are doing the right thing.”

I can certainly see their point, and my gut reaction is that the idea is wrong. However, if the animals are properly cared for while not being “rented” and the “renters” take good care of them, how is that different than the millions of parents in this country and around the world that shell out top dollar so that a stranger can raise their children, or so they dump their human commodities in day care.

Let’s face it, in this day and age, paying someone else to take care of your child is routine. If these pet rental agencies are regulated in some fashion, who’s getting hurt here? Sure, there may be guys who want to rent a dog with the hopes of picking up women, but as long as the animal is cared for, where is the harm? As one of the Boston pet owners in the article said,  some dogs may require a “routine” that only a permanent home can provide. If this is true for animals, how come we think nothing of dropping off our (human) children during their most impressionable years to spend hours at a day care facility with someone who doesn’t them? Or how about shared custody situations with divorced parents and their children? That’s not really a permanent home. We know that has an effect on children, but we think nothing of it. And the big worry here is that a few dogs may get a little confused?

If these rent-a-pet companies treat their animals in a loving and caring manner between rentals, and the people who rent the animals are “screened” in some fashion, why not let these companies set up shop in Boston to see if there is a market for this kind of service, and see how it goes?

In this case, as long as the company cares for the animals and they screen their clients, I say let the market decide, not Boston City Council.

Kerry Blasts Romney On Hunting? Who’s He Kidding?

I was sitting on the commuter rail when I nearly laughed myself out of my seat while reading a discarded copy of Friday’s Boston Herald. What was so funny? Not the comics, but this article on John Kerry criticizing Governor Mitt Romney’s hunting trip at the “Sportsmen’s Challenge” at this week’s Republican Governor’s Conference.

Gov. Mitt Romney admitted he shot at quail in a fenced-in preserve during a GOP outing this week while his possible 2008 presidential opponent — and fellow hunter — Sen. John Kerry slammed the so-called “canned” hunting excursions.

“I’ve never hunted in that kind of a preserve. It’s not really my concept of hunting,” Kerry said while visiting Boston Medical Center yesterday.

Kerry, who could face off against Romney in the 2008 race for the White House, is an avid dove and quail hunter who claims he only hunts birds he intends to eat. The Herald reported yesterday that animal rights groups were fuming that Romney and 15 other GOP bigwigs blasted quail at The Lodge at Cabin Bluff, a 45,000-acre Georgia hunting preserve surrounded by fence and stocked with animals for sportsmen to kill.

This article caught me as funny because Senator Kerry is the last person in Washington who should be criticizing the hunting habits of anyone.

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