Angela Marcano thought her beloved English bulldog, Roy, belonged to her and that she belonged to him.
Turns out, though, that when Marcano thought she was taking out a loan to buy Roy, she was actually taking out a loan to rent him. Roy, you see, was "leased" to Marcano by an unscrupulous lender in cahoots with Pets R Us.
A Pets R Us employee led Marcano through the process of borrowing money to obtain her puppy, using Marcano's mobile phone. Marcano thought she was borrowing to buy. Now she has learned that she "leased" the dog that has become a member of her family.
Do I need to say it? Leasing a puppy is as immoral as leasing a child. Dog owners become just as emotionally attached and even dependent on their animals as parents. The despicable practice of pet leasing, which has become quietly widespread under our very noses, needs to end now before more animal lovers are hurt.
New York state has outlawed pet leasing, as have Nevada and California. State by state action on this issue is far too slow. We need immediate federal action to outlaw this predatory practice. Please tell the United States Congress to outlaw pet leasing.
