How Much Is That Doggy in the Window -- Per Day?

TOKYO, Dec. 5, 2007— -- As Ayako Suzuki stepped into Janet Village in Tokyo, she was greeted by the bowwows of more than 40 dogs. Ayako looked around the room with her husband, Manabu, she stopped, got on her knees and set her eyes on a 3-year-old Beagle named Corona.

"I want this one," said Ayako, with a big smile, not moving an inch from the dog. The husband nodded, and the couple told one of the store clerks, "We would like her for one hour."

The Suzuki's and other dog lovers in Tokyo flock to Janet Village, a dog rental store, to experience the joy of interacting with dogs without the responsibilities of ownership. "We both work full-time, and we are never home during the week," said Ayako, an office clerk. "We would love to have a dog, but I do not think the dog will be happy being left alone in the apartment all day every day."

Their solution is to rent a dog by the hour. The Suzuki's, who are using Janet Village for the first time, paid a total of $31 to rent Corona, which includes a onetime $18 membership fee and a $13 hourly fee.

"This is going to be so much fun," Ayako said as the clerk put Corona on a leash and handed the dog to her.

The Japanese passion, some even call it obsession, for pets shows no sign of abetting. The country's pet industry estimates the pet market has grown into a $9 billion industry, at least. Cats and dogs even outnumber kids here. There are roughly 24 million dogs and cats living in Japan -- more than the 17 million children under the age of 14.

Pet rental stores in and around Tokyo offer a wide range of critters from dogs to ferrets.

"Many people in Tokyo cannot have a pet for various reasons," said Manabu Araki, the store owner. "For instance, many apartment buildings do not allow pets, or city people are simply too busy working all day. But that does not keep them from wanting to have a pet."

Araki, a former insurance salesman, who turned into a pet shop owner 10 years ago, came up with the concept of a dog rental shop when he met an elderly man standing in front of Araki's store crying. "He said the dog we had in the store looked exactly like the one he and his wife owned," said Araki.

"He told me his wife got ill when the dog died. The man asked me to loan him the dog. I did not know quite what to do." The man left his pension book as a form of ID and kept the dog for one week, according to Araki.

"When he returned to the store with the dog, his wife also came with him. She said the dog helped her get back on her feet. I thought there could be more people like them, people who may want part-time pets," Araki said. "I was so worried about the dog all week. But when the dog came back with the couple, it looked so happy."

Since its opening in 1998, more than 5,000 people have visited the store. Some use it sporadically, and some use it regularly. Masataka Mano has been renting a 6-year-old Welsh Corgi named Lulu a few times a month.

One Saturday afternoon, Lulu started to jump up and down in her cage as she spotted Mano walking into the store. "Lulu knows he is here for her," said Eri Yamaguchi, one of the seven dog trainers at the store. "Mr. Mano and Lulu have grown a special relationship over a few years."

As Mano checked out Lulu, Yamaguchi handed him a little bag containing a water bowl, bags to pick up after the dog and what looked like a water bottle, but it contained The liquid disinfectant, which renters can pour on the area where dogs urinate.

As Mano opened the door to his car, Lulu jumped onto a passenger seat. "She knows we are going for a drive. My wife and I have been doing this for a while," said Mano. "We would love to have her. But we live with my wife's parents, and her father does not like dogs. So this is our solution for now."

When asked if he ever considered renting another dog, Mano shook his head immediately. "It has got to be Lulu," Mano said. "She knows us, and we know her. She is just like a family member. I do not think of renting a different one even for a moment."

Potential renters can do their homework online to check out the photos and profiles of each dog. Outside the store, there is a panel with the photos of the dogs du jour for renters to choose from. Araki opened a cafe adjacent to the store in July, where people can sit with the dog of their choice and enjoy a cup of coffee. "Some people travel a few hours just to sit with our dogs at the cafe," Araki said.

Some may raise their eyebrows at the idea of leaving these animals in the hands of strangers. Araki admitted that he received a call from one animal rights group when he started the business. "We do check the renters' ID, but this business is based on trust when it comes down to it," Araki said. "I feel like I am sending out my own child every time I loan a dog. But that group who called me is now doing something similar -- renting dogs to seniors."

Every year, some 30 renters find it hard to part with the dogs they rent, and end up taking them home permanently. Chiaki and Lisa Tsukayama did just that as they purchased a miniature dachshund named Lian.

The mother and daughter rented the dog for three months last year. "It was hard to say goodbye to her at the end of the day," said Lisa. "I could not imagine a life without her." The Tsukayamas even moved to a pet-friendly apartment for Lian. They rented a few dogs before they set their mind on the dachshund.

"I am glad we tried out a few dogs," said Chiaki, "We were thinking of getting a big dog. But even this little dog kept my hands full. Without renting the actual dogs, I would not have known which one would suit our lifestyle."