The "What Will People Think Of Next?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just pulled up a website that I never knew existed before in my life.  Website was called "Sniffspot" and it is an app where homeowners rent out their yards by the hour to dog owners in search of fenced-in spaces where their pooches can play.  You can also rent out swimming pools for your pet to play in as well as one with a sliding board so they can go down the slide right into the water!  And, they can do it over and over again for as long as you have the place rented.  "UNBELIEVABLE," so it is.  I knew about people renting out their homes on Airbnb and Vrbo to vacation in a special area of the United States, but renting a backyard on a house with a pool or sliding board for your dog...Wow, who would do that?  Anything to bring in a bit more income seems to be the reason for so many people renting their homes, backyards, pools and playgrounds that have swings and see-saws.  The more I read the article in the newspaper, the more I found out that there are at least 17 listings on Sniffsspot  in my home town of Lancaster, PA.  One fenced-in yard with a pool costs $12 per dog per hour while another listing on a 9-acre property costs $16 per dog per hour.  Some listings are as cheap as $5 per dog per hour just to be able to roam around in the backyard.  Sniffspot is among the latest startups designed to help home owners capitalize on every inch of their properties.  There is a startup called Swimply, where homeowners rent out their pools by the hour for party venues.  Sniffspot began in Seattle in 2018 as a simple website.  Today there are 1,500 cities with 7,000 hosts logging about 10,000 bookings a month.  Most bookings average about $10 an hour for one dog or $15 for two.  Sniffspot says it is an alternative to the local dog park or even the leisurely walk.  For skittish dogs, playing with other dogs can be stressful and unpleasant.  For a few bucks a pet owner can secure a private dog park and expose a bored pooch to new scents and experiences.  But, not every town in every community has a Sniffspot for your pet to use.  So....why not start one yourself?  Go buy a wadding pool and you're set to go.  You could even put a couple wadding pools in the backyard and use the money you make to put in a real swimming pool.  Than, up your fee to $15 an hour and before long you can quit your day job!  Now...that would only work in warm-climate areas in the United States.   What will people think of next?  I guess I will find out the more I read the newspaper.  Hey...gotta go...I have a dog coming in another hour to drink water from my pond in the backyard and try and catch the goldfish.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.