wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

I heard this dog leasing segment on the radio and didn't get a chance to call in with my dog experience. I don't lease pets, but I am currently in a dog-share with my neighbor. My husband and I are newly married and we've been discussing the topic of getting a dog but my husband has never owned a dog and was afraid of the commitment. In the interim, I posted an ad in my apartment building looking to borrow a dog for canine company during our a half marathon training (totally free.) My neighbors own a labrador and were ecstatic that we were willing to take their dog out for 40-60+ minute runs. Its been 6 months and we have grown so attached to the dog that we now have sleepovers on Friday and Saturday nights so that the owners and their young children can sleep in on their weekends and we take him out for an early morning walk. Our desires to get our own dog are sidelined because we realize that apartment is too small to house a dog. When we leave our place, we put him back into the owner's home so he can comfortably roam in their apartment. We treat him like our own pet- we've taken to the beach, given him baths, bought toys, brushed his teeth, cleaned his ears, food and water bowls are permanent fixtures in our kitchen. Now we love our neighbor's dog so much that we can't bear to replace our new buddy with purchasing our own pet. There's something for everyone in this dog share.

Dr. Mike if that is true, it is tragic.

Depreciating pets as a business expense is nothing. Did you know that patients in renal failure are also depreciated when calculating the value of a kidney dialysis facility? Now that's a story!

silly veronica.

Sam that was too funny, seriously.

To back up what one caller said, fostering an animal in need of a permanent home is an awesome experience. I used to foster cats from my local anti-cruelty society: the cats either had colds or were too young to be adopted out. It was a great way to help out and have a pet around the apartment for a month or so at a time. If my housing situation changed, or I needed to go away for an extended period, I didn't need to worry about what to do with a pet.

aside from the dogs qality of life i think rent a pet proves a deficiency in the average NYer. its no wonder that ny is one of the most depressed cities in america. our priorities are soo deep in work that human relationships are sidelined and now even our animal relationships are non- commital.

Brian,
Based on what you said Pet leasing doesn't seem so cruel. It seems that the lesee gets to see the same dog for as long as he leases it. So in that case when he doesn't have it home its just like putting it in a kennel. And anyone who would want to give up the dog after a while would probably get rid of the dog if he owned it.

An ongoing relationship to your convenience? I had a boyfriend like that.

It doesn't speak very well of the people who choose all the fun of having a dog without any of the responsibilities.

I was at talk last night given by Michael Granoff, from Project Better Place (http://www.betterplace.com/). He said that in Israel and Denmark, where the government has gotten behind rolling out electric cars nationwide, it has become impossible to finance internal combustion cars because it is expected that in 2011 the market for them will collapse and the finance company doesn't want to be stuck with a worthless car.

Leasing a vehicle is a total waste unless you can write it off as a business expense. It is a vehicular state of perpetual honeymoon but you are liable for any damage or excessive mileage and the back end fees can wallop you.

The prefix "pre" means before. So "pre-owned" means before being owned, which of course means "new." Does anyone in the advertising industry know the English language?

Dog leasing sounds pretty bad for the dog, but if the dog would be destroyed otherwise ... who knows?

WRONG TAX INFO:

I believe the caller who said that the car needs to weigh more than 4000 lbs to be deductible as a business expense is incorrect. We deducted our Honda Accord sedan, which was used solely for business purposes, for years; our accountant approved. I think that the rule is that you have to use the car for business only, not that it has to be a certain type of car.

Leasing vehicles for business purposes can be tricky because there are dollar limitations on the amount that can be taken and also, it is based on the business vs. personal use percentage.

I'm a very busy new yorker who likes kids but simply does not have time to have time to have a child of my own. I would like like to lease a child, a rescue would be fine. Ages 3-6, after that they go down in value.

Dogs are pack animals. Renting them out is not only cruel, but severely unnatural.

Leasing dogs, must be one of the sickest things i've ever heard of. what sad lives we lead.

While it's not dog-leasing, I do have a relevant story. My parents live in Buffalo, NY and have a young Lakeland Terrier. He's a great, friendly dog. My sister and her husband live in the West Village, want a dog, but can't have one full-time (work, etc). So, my parents are driving the dog down to NYC and will leave him with my sister for the month they're in FLA. My sister gets a taste of pet-ownership and my parents don't have to board the dog!

dog leasing = animal abuse. What's wrong with these people?

Dog leasing abusive. They will get emotionally attached then get yanked off to the next person. NO to dog leasing and I don't even like dogs, cats, birds etc...

I went to the dealership with the intention of only leasing because I can't afford to finance. It was also an unexpected purchase because my previous car had to be replaced.

I don't drive but my brother started leasing cars about 8 years ago and he swears that it's worth it economically and care wise.

As a business such as a farm could possibly depreciate a farm animal, a dog rental business could depreciate a dog for the price that they paid for it plus any improvements (spaying, perhaps). If it was rescued the price they paid would be $0 and therefore, no depreciation unless they spent money on improvements.

While the idea of depreciating a pet seems strange and less than compassionate, as a CPA I would say that the businesses are doing it out of necessity. They are probably not allowed to write off the expense of acquisition of the pets all in the year that they are purchased, but are required to expense over the life of the animal.

I am a dog owner and I think this is a dumb idea. I'm busy and still find time to feed, walk and care for my dog.

What is with people who cannot make commitments yet still want the benefit of commitments? Animals form attachments to people. Should the dog have to keep reforming attachments, re-experiencing separation anxiety?

Oh, right, it's a money-maker.

Can we rent out our two labs instead of hiring a housesitter when we go on vacation? They're very nice dogs! (Eat alot, though . . . .)

This makes me very sad- There are so many shelters that desperately need foster homes for animals for short periods of time, and all the dogs need daily walks. I am one of those who doesn't feel I have the stability or time to give a pet a good home, but I always make time to walk dogs at the BARC shelter in Brooklyn or play with the cats.

We lease two Volvos, a wagon for our business and a sedan to get around. Volvo does the repair work and we just drive the car. We get a brand new car every three years. (Don't do four years; the car starts to have problems that the lease doesn't cover, and you're out of pocket for the costs.)

I’ve never even owned a car, but I assumed the reason people leased over buying was status. They can probably afford to lease a nicer or higher status car than they could buy and they have the added perk of a new car every 36 months.

It is cruel. Would you lease a child? Oh well I guess that's what foster care is if you think about.

Leasing a dog is ridiculous!

I leased a car once to be able to change out to a new car every 2 to 3 years.