Would you treat a dog like a time share?
After reading this Maryland story about Ginger, a dog that was shared between two families, my immediate reaction was - what a great idea! Many folks with pets are struggling financially. Wouldn't it be kinder to the dog if you shared responsibility and costs, rather than giving them up to a shelter or neglecting their care? The rewards could be a happy dog with two loving families! It sure seems to me that dogs have a deep well of love to draw from, with plenty to share between two welcoming homes.
My two families. We asked others on the Grouchy Puppy Facebook wall and we heard, "Yes, we fostered a friends while they were gone and now he goes back and forth between us. It is like a vacation to him when he gets bored.."
We share our dog Cleo in the form of a sitter when we need to go out of town. Three households make up Team Cleo and we're grateful for the mutual love between them and Cleo. They enjoy her company as much as they are helping us out. We learned long ago that as nice as a kennel can be, there is no substitute to being in a loving home.
"I wish! That would be so great--first to one place to eat, play, snuggle, nap...then to the other place to eat, play, snuggle, nap...!" - Grouchy Puppy Facebook comment
One Facebook comment even shared how a divorce wasn't going to stop a quest for full custody of a Golden Retriever!
"Yes, many years ago when I was going through a divorce. We both wanted our Golden and he went back and forth every other week between households. He was a very laid-back, easy going dog that was always content and he adjusted much better than I did. Ultimately, I gave up my house to have full custody of my dog, and it was worth every penny to me."
Would you go to these lengths for your dog? If you had a chance to share a dog, would you?