SAN DIEGO — Even in a sunny place like San Diego, walking a dog is far from a walk-in-the-park experience for some dog owners.
Downtown can be crowded, full of cars and full of other people.
Cities like San Diego inspired an app created in 2018, Sniffspot.
“It all started when I adopted my first dog, Soba," said David Adams, the app's founder.
San Diego has become a hot spot for these rentals.
According to Adams, San Diego is the app's fifth-largest metro in terms of bookings and the second-largest in California.
San Diego bookings have grown by 77% in the last year, and there are currently 129 active Sniffspots in the area.
Hosts set their hourly rates for customers, typically ranging from $10 to nearly $30 per hour.
“It’s really easy as a host to sign up. We actually will review manually every, single spot that is added and make sure that it meets our criteria," said Adams.
However, the review does not involve anyone physically visiting the property to assess it.
Adams says that he would like to have enough employees to have in-person inspectors in the future, but right now, it is not feasible.
In February 2023, one man was renting a Sniffspot in Chula Vista when his German Shepherd fell into an abandoned well on the property.
“One, you’re upset. Two, you’re mad at everybody and three, you’re like - Ok, what next?" said Mark Pugh, the dog owner.
Pugh's dog, Indy, is still recovering and attends physical therapy multiple times weekly.
Pugh advises anyone who will use a Sniffspot to schedule a visit ahead of time.
