My very own dog-sharing success story started in 2020. Dog adoptions increased by 11% during the pandemic. Hence why I struggled to adopt or foster my own when I decided to jump on that bandwagon. However, a neighbor in my building connected me with someone who wanted temporary help — just for one year — and I leaned into it.
Finally and suddenly, I was a dog momma, getting to know a 1 year old cocker spaniel who warmed up to me and charmed me from day one. Even as I write this, I tear up because she loved me, and I fell hard for her, from her paws to her rump to her bark to her nibbles. I love Luna. Luna IS the love of my life. And everyone who knows, knows.
And a funny thing happened. Life, and all of its surprise obstacles, collided with people and their love for dogs. As I brought Luna with me everywhere, friends fell for her too.
80 walks – $2000 saved
One of my neighbors was fielding the pleas of her two dog-obsessed teenage sons who, while attending virtual school, wanted a dog more than ever. She, a single momma, was determined NOT to add more responsibility to her plate.
At the same time, gyms opened up and I found myself thrust into a full-time work schedule. We saw an opportunity to improve both our situations, and after a few trials and conversations, her sons were picking up Luna every day after school and keeping her until I returned from work that evening.
I went from watching Luna sit alone at home via my doggy cam to receiving a constant and gleeful feed of Luna being loved and played with every. damn. day. Ecstatic, grateful, and at peace are some of the feelings that I had. This continued for 4 months and Luna truly became their dog too.
30 dog sits – $1500 saved
Luna’s sharing family would bring her everywhere they could, and one fateful day, she won the hearts of another couple. Sebastian loved taking long 1-2 hour walks and he also had a wife who often traveled. They loved dogs but weren’t allowed to have any in their apartment. Sebastian took Luna on a walk one day and soon began offering to spend time with her.
This resulted in him dropping by to pick Luna up while I was out of the apartment for long stretches, taking Luna for weekends when his wife was away, and simply enjoying her company when he was working from home or taking a walk.
Sebastian and Luna formed a very special bond, with her waiting for him outside of the bathroom door while he showered and him taking some of the most captivating photos of her.
4 weeks of dog boarding $1350 saved
It was incredible to realize that Luna fully loved these families and they fully loved her. This is when I knew I was creating my own dog-sharing success story.
Most of the time, I found myself granting their requests to spend time with Luna. But then came the time when I needed them, and they stepped up. I was planning to be on crutches for 2-3 weeks post foot surgery. I took off from work, scheduled a post -hospital escort, and called on Luna’s new families to commit to caring for her.
We made all of the arrangements and as the weeks passed and I healed, Luna was well cared for. Before I knew it, I was better and able to take her back, and everyone had collectively helped me to save on the potential cost of 2-3 weeks of dog boarding.
Months later, as I was planning to go away for a week, I asked for the same favor and again, between Luna’s now two sharing families, they were able to fully care for her and I was never taxed with sending her to doggy daycare.
Additionally, I knew she was giving them joy and she was receiving active and personal time and attention. The constant flow of content of my own dog having a great time was the stuff every dog owner dreams of!
When I do the math, I saved $5,000 in dog-care.
And when I look at the intangibles, I believe that I redefined caring for my dog from being an expense for myself, to being a gift to others who were eager to have her “be theirs” for a day. Instead of adding her to the roster at a doggy day-care, I added to the lives of my now friends.
What unique circumstances enabled this to happen?
- I was comfortable sharing my dog.
- And I was comfortable asking for help.
But also:
- I wasn’t friends with these families before this
- Things weren’t perfect – we communicated and worked together through some of Luna’s tummy troubles, bathroom accidents, and aggressive incidents.
In the end, we all discovered and took part in something wonderful. And I believe that this can be re-created and scaled for you and all of the dog-owners and dog-lovers who are interested in joining a dog sharing and caring community paradigm.
Let’s get together and share the love of dogs, You can create your own dog-sharing success story. Find out more about us on our about page
