I think there may be a good market for this in NYC. I was reading about it in Asia and its successful launch there a few years ago. But there is little effort to bring it stateside. This brings to light the reoccuring desire for canine companionship in human beings and opens up a profitable market by giving people who are unable to care for an animal full time or are simply unknowledgeable regarding dog ownership a chance to experience the benefits a quality dog can offer.
The startup costs involved are fairly low (similar to bicycle rental as opposed to car rental). Basically need insurance policy, perhaps onsite vet care/training, and basic maintenance (medication, etc.) facilities. We could stock several model dogs ranging in sizes, mostly with emphasis on patient, social dogs that can endure multiple handlers over a short period of time.
I remember a dog that Disneyworld had on staff in Orlando, (Saint Bernard) that was extremely tolerant of being climbed on, petted, poked, etc. And it was usually onsite for several hours. While I probably wont be able to afford to handpick dogs like Disney can, a similar-type animal would work well. I'm thinking an avg. 7-8 hour rental shift per dog. At $10-15 per hour/2 hour minimum booking, it could be quite profitable. With no "dog" labor laws, I can probably work them more hours if necessary to cover costs.
In addition, for longer term rentals, here is an example. Some hospitals have dogs on staff for cancer/disabled patients. We could rent dogs to hospitals at weekly/monthly rates to provide a more stable income stream.
With sponsership, for example, an adoption or animal rescue center, this could spawn into an interest in adoptions for new dog owners or general education about dog care.
Eventually, I may even try fractional dog ownership like timeshares (see Netjets for fractional rental model), which can generate additional revenue in addition to retail rentals.
The startup costs involved are fairly low (similar to bicycle rental as opposed to car rental). Basically need insurance policy, perhaps onsite vet care/training, and basic maintenance (medication, etc.) facilities. We could stock several model dogs ranging in sizes, mostly with emphasis on patient, social dogs that can endure multiple handlers over a short period of time.
I remember a dog that Disneyworld had on staff in Orlando, (Saint Bernard) that was extremely tolerant of being climbed on, petted, poked, etc. And it was usually onsite for several hours. While I probably wont be able to afford to handpick dogs like Disney can, a similar-type animal would work well. I'm thinking an avg. 7-8 hour rental shift per dog. At $10-15 per hour/2 hour minimum booking, it could be quite profitable. With no "dog" labor laws, I can probably work them more hours if necessary to cover costs.
In addition, for longer term rentals, here is an example. Some hospitals have dogs on staff for cancer/disabled patients. We could rent dogs to hospitals at weekly/monthly rates to provide a more stable income stream.
With sponsership, for example, an adoption or animal rescue center, this could spawn into an interest in adoptions for new dog owners or general education about dog care.
Eventually, I may even try fractional dog ownership like timeshares (see Netjets for fractional rental model), which can generate additional revenue in addition to retail rentals.