Mommy, Can I Have a Puppy, Sometimes?

8/13/07 - By Anna Fader
Kids love pets. Especially furry ones. Double especially big, furry, drool-y, ones that need to be walked and run and scooped up after several times a day and kenneled when you go on vacation and given expensive shots. Except they don't like all that stuff so much. And the whining and begging and pointing out of cute dogs can wear a parent down to the point where maybe having a cute little doggie doesn't seem like such a bad idea, even if you do live in NYC in an apartment the size of a toothbrush holder and work 60 hours a day to pay for it. Which can lead to post traumatic pet ownership. But, dogs are forever. You can't just get a cute puppy and keep it for a little while and then return it when the charm wears off...or can you? Urban travel guide, Gridskipper, reports on a new service that has come to NYC that may be the final answer to that perennial question, "Mommy, can I have a puppy?"

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FLEXPETZ is like the Bag Borrow or Steal of the canine world. You can "rent" a pup for an afternoon, a day, or longer. It's not cheap, but then neither is owning your own dog. And Flexpetz come with the one doggie trait not even the breeders who invented the Labradoodle have been able to figure...they're returnable! Whether you're looking to "test-run" owning a dog, or really want a dog, but can't swing the full commitment, shared pet ownership could be the answer to those endless, "Please, please, please, pleeeeeases!"

About the Author

Anna Fader

Founder of Mommy Poppins

A fourth-generation Brooklynite, Anna started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to help families find the best things to do with kids in NYC, with a particular emphasis on sharing activities that are free, affordable, and enriching. The site, used by millions of families, has grown to become the ultimate resource for parents in the major US cities, plus travel guides for 100s of destinations.

Anna is a believer in the magic of summer camps, traveling with kids, and that you can raise kids on a budget and still have a rich life full of amazing memories. Anna's first Mommy Poppins book, The Young Traveler's Journal and Activity Book, published in 2025 and co-written with her daughter, Amelia Eigerman, brings that ethos to life, in addition to this website.