SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Puppies for Rent – a real live business
Dec 6, 2012, 11:23 AM | Updated: 2:50 pm
Jenna Miller says her Puppies For Rent business seems to benefit both the puppies and the renters. (Image courtesy Instrgram - Puppies For Rent)
(Image courtesy Instrgram - Puppies For Rent)
A few years ago, trying to please his lady on her birthday, KIRO Radio Host Andrew Walsh sought out a puppy party service, a service his girlfriend imagined would bring puppies to your home for a fun afternoon of frolicking with new fuzzy friends. But much to his chagrin he couldn’t find such a business…until now.
Jenna Miller, a law student at Bringham Young University, has been running a puppy rental business in Utah since the summer. The puppies are available for rent for a fee of $15 for one hour or $25 for two.
The new service has been very popular. In the first day after she hung fliers around her school campus, Miller received several calls.
“People were asking if it was a joke, if they could seriously rent a puppy,” says Jenna. “I was like, ‘Yes. You should have been able to do this years ago.'”
Andrew had several questions for Jenna about logistics, like where to get puppies, and what to do when they grow up into big dogs.
Jenna says finding puppies hasn’t been an issue, and that many dog owners in the area have actually begun contacting her when their dogs have a litter.
“People contact us sometimes and are like, ‘My dog has puppies. I need to get rid of them. Can you help us?’ So then we have these puppies and so we rent them out to people and then usually people who want to rent them, want to buy.”
The puppies are so popular Jenna says it’s hard to hang onto them for long.
“We’ve had multiple people trying to buy every single puppy. We haven’t had any puppies over 12 weeks at all. People just snatch them up really fast.”
Jenna says many of the renters are college students or families looking for a dog taking a sort of test drive. To keep puppies safe, Jenna says renters must sign a liability agreement.
“The renter is basically held responsible legally to treat the puppy well and ensure that others treat the puppy well.”
When not out for rent, the puppies live on a farm where Jenna pays for their care. She says the program so far has seemed a real benefit for both puppies and puppy renters.
“I think it does some real good for people who don’t have the opportunity to have pets and for the dogs, too. I think it’s a great way to place them.”
Plus, to Andrew’s great joy, Jenna says she’s open to expansion if things continue to go well.
The Andrew Walsh Show can be heard on KIRO Radio weekdays from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Available anytime ON DEMAND at MyNorthwest.com.
