Massachusetts

Need a Yard for Your Pet to Run Around? There's an App for That

Sniffspot is similar to the concept of Airbnb -- except this one's all for the dogs

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If you can't find space for your four-legged friend to run around in, now you can rent it.

Sniffspot is similar to the concept of Airbnb -- except this one's all for the dogs.

"I did it because it was a need that me and my girlfriend had at that time," Sniffspot founder David Adams said. "Cities were not built for dogs."

Whether Fido likes long walks by the water or just room to let loose, you can even find hosts on the app that will rent out canoes.

"These are private rentals, so when you're renting a Sniffspot, it's just you and your dog, or your friends and their dogs. You're not going there with other people," Adams said. "The reason people are using Sniffspot is for a safe place for off leash exercise."

A fenced-in property in Stoughton, Massachusetts, has about half an acre of land. Bobby Johnson was looking for a way to make extra cash at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and started renting out the yard at his mom's home that was going unused.

"I've had actually a dog party where we've had like 20 dogs come, there's this dog walker that comes regularly who brings five dogs at a time," Johnson said of who has rented his mom's yard.

The American Kennel Club released their annual popularity ranking for dog breeds in the United States.

Laura Greenslit, who lives in an apartment in Cambridge, says while she had never heard of the site before, she would definitely give it a shot to keep her pup's tail wagging.

"It's beautiful," Greenslit said of a Sniffspot space. "Living in the city, there's not a lot of open spaces for him to run, so any opportunity that he can play with other dogs and be in an open space, I'd be interested in."

Those who sign up as hosts on the site can set their own rates based on their availability.

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