Want a doggy friend? Borrow mine!
It’s the perfect fix for dog lovers who can’t commit to a full-time pet (and for dog owners who need a pet sitter). And, of course, the four-legged furries get spoiled on the double!
IHAVE two very enthusiastic housemates who can’t stop kissing me. They also love to snuggle up at night time, to the point where there’s hardly room in the bed for the man I married. Yes, my two Yorkshire terriers are yappy, playful and very, very loving — so if they require that extra cushion or a little bit of chopped salmon for their dinner, why not indulge them? Look at all they give in return.
As anyone who has owned a dog can attest, dogs provide an unconditional love that is unsurpassed.
While a human may gripe or hold a grudge, a dog knows of no such emotional complexities. He will always greet you happily — especially if he’s looking for food. But that said, he is intuitive, and will understand when his owner is out of sorts, always offering a furry shoulder to cry on.
So dog owners know how lucky they are — but what about those who, for whatever reason, are unable to own a mutt themselves? I have a friend who is equally barking and takes my two terrors when we go on holiday, but what of the dog-mad people who have to reluctantly put their fur babies in kennels when they leave the country?
Or, for that matter, the guilt-ridden among us who have no choice but to go out to work to bring home the kibbles, leaving their canine cuties all alone, without walkies or company during the week? Self- confessed dog nut Rikke Rosenlund had these thoughts in mind some years ago when she was looking after Aston, a brown Labrador who belonged to a friend — who happened to be the son of a famous Formula One racing driver, hence the name.
As a little girl growing up in Denmark and daughter to busy entrepreneurial parents, Rikke could not keep her own dog as a child, so she had to improvise by borrowing her friend’s mutts for walks and cuddles.
As an adult, her hectic working life in the financial services industry in London meant that although her craving for canine companionship had not waned, it was not practical nor fair to have her own pooch exclusively.
Rikke came up with the ingenious idea of borrowmydoggy.com — connecting dog owners with local dog lovers across Britain and Ireland for walks, sitting, and happy holidays.
‘We are spreading pawprints of happiness — our community now has over 300,000 members,’ Rikke tells me from her dog-friendly office in the heart of London, raising her voice over excited yapping in the background.
On any given day, Rikke and the other 11 human members of the borrowmydoggy pack have the company of at least two four-legged friends.
‘Our service attracts people from all walks of life — from parents who are thinking of getting a dog for their children and are testing the waters, to time-deprived workers who don’t get a chance to walk their doggies or spend a lot of time playing with them during the working week.’
It works like this — dog owners select their location, then create a ‘pawsome’ profile, uploading cute pictures of their canines, to give an indication of their likes, energy and affection levels. Potential borrowers in your area then like your doggy profile, and send a message.
It’s a bit like Facebook, except it’s substantially cuter and more entertaining to browse. A borrower pays a yearly fee of €9.99 and owners pay €49.99, which is not much compared to costly kennels and dog-walking services.
It’s even attracted celebrities like Rita Ora, who signed up her pampered pooch Cher the Bear for the service, and doggie fan Leona Lewis, who has endorsed the service on Twitter.
But it’s not about the money, says Rikke. ‘We are spreading pawprints of happiness on the lives of dogs and people by building local communities where dog l overs help out simply because they love dogs, not to get paid,’ she says. ‘We’ve had people meet and bond over their common love for dogs, only to realise they have l ots in common.’ As a result, dog and human both benefit, says Rikke.
‘ The dog gets extra l ove and attention, and, of course, exercise and socialisation. Also, owners get freedom to go on holiday, knowing that their other baby is being well looked after by someone they really trust.
‘We had two mums who used the service who didn’t realise they lived beside each other, and now their children go on playdates together.
‘We have people who are retired and borrow a dog, so it’s like having an honorary grandmother. There’s probably even been romance somewhere along the way,’ Rikke says.
But this service is all about doggy dates, and the good news is there’s plenty of those to be had. As a dog owner myself, I was interested in the security aspect of the service. I’m not sure how confident I’d feel handing my little critters over to a stranger.
However, safety is of the utmost importance to BorrowMyDoggy. There’s third party liability insurance protection, a strict verification process and a lot of trust is built before a borrower can take out your dog, Rikke explains.
‘We organise a “Welcome Woof” — the first meet and greet for the owner, borrower, and dog to get to know each
It’s a bit like Facebook, but much cuter ‘We’re spreading pawprints of happiness’
other. Often people meet several times before the borrower takes care of the dog alone,’ she says. ‘It’s not a case of letting a random person come to your house and take your dog. It doesn’t work like that.’
Because like-minded people are bonding over a common love, strong bonds and friendships are made between both humans and doggies. Aoiffe Madden, a PR executive from Dublin (made famous by TV3’s The Apprentice) has been using the service for more than a year and a half, and is smitten by Rio, a gorgeous blonde Labrador, who Aoiffe says, is ‘the most outgoing dog in Ireland’.
Looking at her Facebook page, there’s no denying the dog is a beauty, and its easy to see why she’s a popular BorrowMyDoggy choice.
‘I just love dogs, but I live in a city centre apartment in Dublin and although we have a decent sized terrace, it’s not the right home for a big dog,’ explains Aoiffe, who had a Labrador while growing up, and says she formed an instant bond with Rio. ‘Rio was and is my one and only foster doggie,’ she laughs. ‘ After taking her out once I knew I’d fallen for her!’ Photographer Claire Brown, also from Dublin, is Rio’s owner, and she is thrilled with the bond that Aoiffe and Rio have — in fact she thinks they are just pawfect together. ‘Their bond has progressed from regular walks to sleepovers,’ she smiles. ‘I love seeing how happy Rio is with her. And it does us such a huge favour. We can go away guiltfree — we travelled to Cuba last year for ten days — and know that Rio is being spoilt at Aoiffe’s flat.’
Rio of course, revels in the extra ear ruffles and attention — what fourlegged blonde wouldn’t? But it’s very much a mutual appreciation, says Aoiffe, who delights in the time she spends with the dog she loves to bits.
‘Claire and her partner are heading away on holidays soon, so I get to have Rio all to myself for two full weeks. The last time I had her for over a week, it was definitely hard handing her back. The cuddles were sorely missed,’ she says.
At the end of the day however, Aoiffe knows Rio is on loan, but right now, that suits her just fine.
‘ Maybe some day she’ll have puppies, and I’ll have a bigger home and be ready to adopt for keeps,’ she says hopefully. Until then, she’s quite happy to let Claire take the lead.
SEE borrowmydoggy.com for more information
‘It was hard handing her back’