Dog owner advertises ‘part time dog’ in ploy to get free petsitting

An ambitious dog owner seems to have set about an inventive plan to get a free sitter by offering their four-legged companion up as a “part-time dog” for an alternative family.

A member of the public encountered the bold ad displayed on a noticeboard where it featured a photo of the small dog, Tedy, and a description of his owner’s proposal.

The ad, later shared to Reddit, began with the pitch: “Do you love dogs, but you are too busy to have a full-time commitment or too much financially?

“Tedy is looking for an alternative family. Would you like or your kids to have a dog?”

The tiny animal’s “mom” was, according to the ad, happy to share him on the weekends and afternoons, dependent on what arrangement could be agreed on.

The sharing agreement seemed reliant on whether the “alternative family” would be happy to have Tedy for free while his owner was away traveling.

“My mom is happy to share me with you on [the] weekend or afternoon (as per agreement) for an exchange to look after me when she is traveling,” the ad read.

Prospective minders were asked to get in touch if they were interested.

The bizarre offering provoked a perplexed response among dozens of respondents, many of which thought it was a blatant ploy to get free dog sitting.

“Do people do this or is this person looking for free dog sitting?” the person behind the post wrote.

“It’s 100 percent free babysitting,” one replied.

Others acknowledged it was obviously a “bit cheeky” but agreed Tedy’s owner could be onto something.

“Jokes aside, this is indeed a very clever way to get free pet sitting, but also a win-win for some who would love to have a pet, but can’t afford or just don’t have enough time,” someone wrote.

“Yes they want free doggie daycare but hey if they can find someone who wants to do that then good luck to them,” another said.

“Pet sharing is definitely a thing, seems a bit cheeky to me but maybe everyone benefits,” someone else wrote.