He woofs hard for the money!
A borzoi named Rhett is earning $1 a minute as a companion to pooch-starved New Yorkers — and is being hounded by minxes from Madison Avenue to Mulberry Street — all in a bid to raise money for vision-saving pet surgery.
“I’ve had models run across the street and almost get hit by a bus to be with this dog,” crowed owner Dr. Emil Chynn, a Harvard-educated eye doctor who wants to provide free Lasik to a qualified pooch in what would be its first-ever therapeutic use on a canine.
Renting Rhett is doggone easy — it takes only a credit card, a driver’s license and a willingness to play second fiddle.
“He gets a tremendous amount of attention,” said Chynn, 47. “If you walk this dog, you’re going to get stopped every block. It’s insane.”
Rentals start at a minimum of $30 and are usually no longer than two hours — though Chynn says he’s considering a recent inquirer seeking an entire weekend.
The dog can be picked up at Chynn’s practice on East 25th Street near Park Avenue, where the pooch is as much a fixture as a confocal microscope.
Chynn — who hatched the idea about nine months ago after noticing all the attention heaped on his hound — keeps Rhett’s temporary guardians on a short leash. He holds on to a driver’s license and pre-authorizes a credit card for $1,000 in case they flee with Rhett, who comes equipped with a camera on his collar so the ophthalmologist can keep an eye on things.
Borzoi, also called Russian wolfhounds, were bred for centuries as hunting dogs by the Russian aristocracy, according to the American Kennel Club. Among this pretty pooch’s selling points are his regal figure — on two legs he stands a hearty 5 1/2 feet tall and weighs a svelte 77 pounds.
In just a few months, the 4 1/2- year-old dog has brought home the bacon — $500 — which Chynn plans to match with his own funds in order to save the sight of some lucky fetch-less Fido.
In humans, the laser surgery corrects vision and generally eliminates the need for glasses or contact lenses.
Money raised in the future will go to other dog-related charities, Chynn assured. Rhett will next be collecting cash for A Wish For Animals, a no-kill shelter based in California that is looking to expand into New York.
Ex-model Jenny Lynne Hughes, adoption coordinator for A Wish For Animals, said she recently met Chynn thanks to Rhett — whose animal magnetism she found irresistible. “I was walking in the West Village and Rhett’s a beautiful dog — and I am naturally drawn to dogs,” she said.“So I walked up and started petting him.”
Chynn said he never worries Rhett will stray.
“It’s almost like when you have a boyfriend or girlfriend,” he said. “You don’t mind if she’s looking hot and maybe doing a bit of flirting if you know in her heart of hearts she’d rather be with you than anyone on the planet.”
Chynn has been dogged by controversy in the past, making headlines for posting kooky Craigslist ads, including one for a personal assistant that included a $10,000 bonus for finding him a wife.
“No one who knows me is participating in those stories,” said Chynn, who remains a lone wolf.