Being a dog owner is a serious commitment: you need to be financially capable, willing to commit time, and have the capacity to care for a living thing. For dog lovers that want canine affection without the responsibilities, there is an app that can let you have it all.
Called Bark’N’Borrow, the iOS app essentially lets you rent a dog from a dog owner. Those who have a canine companion create a profile for their dogs and coordinate a meet up with a “borrower” to see if their is a compatibility.
For the safety of the dogs, the borrowers are “vetted,” according to app creator Liam Berkeley.
"That question is asked a lot," he said to FOX 5 New York. "What if I lend my dog out to someone who wants to hurt it? We collect your residential info, your billing info, your address, your full details. There are much easier ways to get your hands on a dog if you are that type of person that wants to hurt a dog or steal a dog than going through our platform and through our system. We try to do the utmost."
The app, which boasts 50,000 users around the country with roughly 10,000 users in the New York area, also has another function: to pair up dog owners with professional dog walkers and dog sitters.
“The service is accessed through a simple application that functions like a social community for dog lovers,” reads the app description. “Whether someone wants to borrow a dog for a simple walk, hike or whenever it works for their schedule. At the same time, we understand the importance of utilizing certified dog walkers, sitters or caretakers, especially when pet owners need help with their dogs at their personal convenience or for long periods of time. Therefore, we offer that option as well.”
While the app is free for now, it will start charging $4.99 a month for a subscription fee next month.
