I had the most brilliant idea when walking around the park this morning. Well, I thought it was brilliant, see what you think.
There were lots of dogs with their owners, on a perfect early summer’s day, with blue skies and a slight breeze. It was just a lovely day to take a dog for a walk. The trouble is that I don’t actually want a dog all the time. I want one, occasionally, when I’m in the park. And I’m not even always sure about the breed. Sometimes I see a very cute little long-haired dachshund and think how lovely to walk him. Then there’s a pug I’m rather taken with. Or sometimes I see a spaniel which is just so in love with life that he’s nearly irresistible.
What I definitely know is that I don’t want a dog full-time in my house, being muddy on a wet day and smelling, dare I say it, like a wet dog.
Soooo …. how about a dog library? It would be a bit like Boris’s blue bikes, which are parked around London and can be borrowed and put back to help poor old London commuters get around the congested city. The dog library would work in parks. There would be a kennel, with a range of dogs from the RSPCA or from Battersea Cats and Dogs home, which you could borrow for an hour, and then take back. This might persuade reluctant dog owners, like me, to take the plunge, or it might enable those who don’t have the space or time to have a permanent dog to get a taste of dog ownership. Above all, it would be fantastic for parents who are being nagged constantly to get a dog, when they know that they, and their lifestyles, are not really dog-compatible. We could call it Park Pooches.
What do you think? Could it work? Doggone it, I think it’s a bit of a brainwave.
