WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Flexpetz, the company that launched a groundbreaking "dog share" service in 2007, announces the opening of its latest location that allows busy dog lovers the opportunity to spend time with a dog of their choice. But unlike the company's physical locations in cities such as Manhattan or Los Angeles, Flexpetz's latest location is unique - and it's virtual.
The latest Flexpetz location to open is in the virtual world of the Second Life social networking universe. Operating along the same lines as Flexpetz's real world locations, Second Life residents can now visit the Second Life Flexpetz location, choose a virtual dog and travel throughout the Second Life community with a canine companion.
Marlena Cervantes, the founder and CEO of Flexpetz, says: "The concept behind Flexpetz in the Second Life virtual world has enormous promotional, marketing and social benefits for our company. As in the 'real world,' roving through Second Life with a Flexpetz dog creates an immediate talking point between residents. In turn, the potential for millions of Second Life members to learn more about our real world service makes our Second Life location a fantastic promotional tool."
As in the "real world" Flexpetz, Second Life members must pay to spend time with a Flexpetz virtual dog, approximately $2 for a seven-day period, with proceeds from these virtual rentals then distributed by Flexpetz to animal welfare groups. To maintain a "real world" experience, the Flexpetz virtual dogs obey commands and even randomly poop - requiring the member to clean up after their dog.
Cervantes notes the growth potential for the Flexpetz Second Life location to add revenue for the company through the sale of advertising on billboards located throughout the Flexpetz Second Life site. Companies such as PetsBest, the veterinary insurance company, and PetSafe, promoting their latest GPS dog locator, are attracted to the exposure to real world pet owners gained by their presence on the Flexpetz Second Life site.
Cervantes states: "I see Second Life becoming the next big social network to hit the Internet. But unlike MySpace or Facebook, Second Life allows members to interact in real time, face to face. It may be a cliche, but Second Life really does add that human touch that so many social networks lack. And from a business perspective, the fact that Second Life allows financial transactions between residents and companies such as Flexpetz makes Second Life unique."
Cervantes looks forward to an explosive growth of Second Life. Says Cervantes: "The Second Life community stands at over 12 million residents and growing. These residents spend millions of dollars a month on online transactions - a figure that is bound to go through the roof in the coming years."
ABOUT FLEXPETZ
Flexpetz provides a unique flexible ownership program for dog lovers who are unable to own a full-time doggy pal, but miss spending time with a canine companion. Flexpetz dogs are rescued or rehomed and are vetted for personality and temperament. Members can reserve the Flexpetz dog of their choice online and choose from any of the current Flexpetz locations.
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