WATCH: Part Time Pooch program allows Vancouver residents to ‘borrow’ dogs

A new business in Vancouver is allowing residents with dogs to ‘lend out’ their pooches to others.

It’s called Part Time Pooch and hundreds of people have already signed up on the website.

“Why I started this is because I got an interest in social sustainability, I wanted to create a business that brought communities together, I wanted to get people out of the house, and actually meeting and interacting with one another,” said Gavin Flett, Part Time Pooch owner and founder.

“And so Part Time Pooch does that.”

Flett said it is not dog sharing, or shared ownership, but it allows someone to ‘borrow’ a dog for an amount of time.

Any owner who signs up also gets the chance to vet the person who wants to take their dog, whether that be for a few hours or even overnight. Flett said he encourages the dog owners to take the time to really get to know the person who wants to take their dog out and to be very selective.

Dog owner Beverley Kort is part of the program and said she has had an informal arrangement with someone in the past, but with this company it is now much more regulated.

“You go on the website and you look at all the people who want to walk your dog, and so you connect up with them,” said Kort. “And so someone got in touch with me, and her and her boyfriend took my dog out this Sunday.”

She said she felt OK about handing over her dog Bruce to a couple she didn’t know, because she was able to talk to them on the phone before and then meet them in person.

Flett said the intent is that the owner is happy and the dog is happy, and said it can work for people who work a lot, or people who like to travel, or would just like their dog to have some more exercise.

“This is essentially like leaving your dog with a neighbour you already know,” said Flett.

To check out the program, go to the Part Time Pooch website.