That pet you think you bought might be leased

Scott and PHILADELPHIA —

Patricia Smith were looking for a new furry friend at a pet store when they found Chase, a fluffy white Maltese.

It was June 2018, five months after their last dog died, and they quickly fell in love with the pup who curled up in Scott’s lap. With the decision made, Scott gave his debit card to pay $3,000 for the dog. But he said an employee at the store in Middletown, New Jer- sey, Breeders Club of America, couldn’t process the payment and suggested they finance the dog, instead. The couple agreed, planning to pay off Chase in full when the first bill came.

What the Smiths didn’t know was that they did not own the dog they took home that day. Their puppy was actually the property of a Virginia lending company.

The Little Falls, New Jersey, couple claim they paid hundreds of dollars more than expected because the store never told them they were leasing the dog. To buy Chase weeks later, they had to spend more than $3,800 to buy out the lease agree- ment early.

“I went through all of that crap because they were being deceitful,” Scott Smith said. “I don’t know how you lease a living thing.”

Neither Breeders Club of America nor the financing company, My Pet Funding, responded to requests for comment.

The Smiths are among consumers across the country who claim they were duped into signing lease agreements that cost much more than the sticker price of the pet. An employee at that store said it no longer offers lease agree- ments, but state legislators passed a ban on pet leasing, and the bill awaits the governor’s signature.

“We looked into it, and I believe there was an actual problem out there, and this will fix it,” said Assemblyman John Armato, a Democrat and primary sponsor of the legislation. “It is something that is emerging. It’s not prevalent right now, but without some kind of restraint, it would have gotten worse.”

Five states have outlawed pet leasing: California, Indiana, Nevada, New York, and Washington. Connecticut lawmakers are considering a ban.

Leasing a pet is a lot like renting an appliance, according to a copy of the Smiths’ contract. The agreement required the Smiths to pay $176 the day they took the pet home, followed by 29 monthly payments of $136 plus fees. At the end of the lease, the Smiths would have paid $4,011 for a dog valued at $3,159.

They still would have had to make an additional balloon payment of $505 to keep Chase, or as the contract affectionately called him: “the product(s).”

The contract allowed the company to “take possession of the pet by any method or manner permitted by law” if the Smiths defaulted on the lease.

Kelsey Eberly, a staff lawyer at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, which opposes pet leasing, said her group is unaware of any repossession of a pet. Typically, when consumers miss payments, lease companies pass them on to debt collectors, she said.

“But the threat of repossession is certainly very real for these consumers, because it is a specific term of these lease agreements,” she wrote in an email. “So it is, of course, very frightening, and keeps consumers paying the exor- bitant monthly fees because they fear losing their family pet if they fall behind.”

Pet leasing is a relatively new industry, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which told pet sellers last year that they must disclose to consumers that the puppy deals are leases before they sign the agreement.

Teddy, our 5-year old Lab, has a beautiful black coat. It’s shiny, lush and thick. We get compliments on it all the time.

But black dogs and the summer sun don’t mix. According to dailypuppy. com, because dark colors absorb heat, a black dog can get so overheated its fur would be hot to the touch.

Too much time in the sun could put Teddy at risk for heat stroke.

So, when summer rolls around, my family takes several preventive measures to keep our pooch cool as a cucumber – literally.

Cool treats in the hottest months are a staple at our house. Humans get ice cream sandwiches and orange creamsicles. Teddy gets cucumber and green bean ice cubes.

We grab an ice cube tray and put a small piece of cucumber or green bean in each slot, then fill the tray with water and freeze.

We’ll put one or two of the frozen cubes in Teddy’s water dish to soften them up. Teddy laps them up then licks and munches on the cold treats. Strawberries and blueberries work well, too. Frosty paws and homemade frozen yogurt cubes round out Teddy’s cold treat selections.

The heat also affects Teddy’s exercise regimen. My husband, Ed, changes the times he walks the dog. The two will walk early in the morning and late in the evening when the temperature is cooler instead of midday or when Ed gets home from work.

Ed always checks the pavement before he gets Teddy ready for their walk. Following Sassafras Lowrey’s advice at dogster.com, if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot for Teddy’s paws.

Teddy’s favorite place for a summer stroll is on Lake Michigan’s shores.

Living in Your Pet’s World

He walks for a while, stops, takes a dip in the cool, clear water and shakes it off before he and Ed continue on their merry way.

If the humidity is high, Teddy and Ed skip the walk and play games in our home’s lower level where the temps are the coolest. Favorites include tug-of-war, fetch, and if I join them, monkey (Teddy) in the middle.

We will also play hideand-seek throughout the house. Ed and I take turns hiding and calling “Teddy” to come find us. When he does, he gets a treat.

Teddy’s good at listening to our voices and moving in that direction. The furry child will walk into every room in the house looking for us and his reward, except one. He won’t go into the laundry room. Haven’t figured out why, but if either one of us hides in there he is not going in there to find us or retrieve his reward.

When Teddy does play outside on cooler summer days a dish is always filled with cold water.

Fortunately, our backyard’s multiple trees provide lots of shady places for him to relax and cool off. Unfortunately for us, the mulch under said trees will also keep the canine cool. Ever brush mulch out of an uncooperative Lab’s coat?

A few people we know have kiddie pools in their backyards exclusively for their dogs; their kids are all grown. We’ve thought about it but so far Teddy, while cool as a cucumber, remains pool-less. Karin Spicer, a magazine writer,has entertaining families for more than 20 years. She lives in Bellbrook with her family and two furry animals all who provide inspiration for her work. She can be reached at spicerkarin@gmail.com.