If you go to dinner with a bunch of techies, the idea for an app that lets you hang out with a dog for a few hours is bound to come up. “Like Uber, but for dogs!” a friend will inevitably slur.
That dream is about to become a reality, thanks to a Kickstarter for an app called walkzee, which pairs local shelter dogs in need of a walk with humans in need of some quality K-9 time.
Walkzee was dreamed up by San Francisco-based couple Cristina and Charlie Saunders, who were inspired to create the app when they took a wrong turn during a vacation in Kauai, Hawaii.
“On the first day of our honeymoon, while on our first hike, we thought— wouldn’t it be cool if there was an app where you could find a dog to walk when you are away from home?” they wrote on the walkzee website.
Their wrong turn took them to the Humane Society’s parking lot, where they saw a sign for a “dog field trip.” They returned the next day to play with the dogs, which inspired them to create the first online platform for matching shelter dogs and humans.
walkzee/Kickstarter
The Saunderses turned to Kickstarter to help fund this furry enterprise, and they’ve just surpassed their goal of $20,000. “If we can help one shelter dog get an extra walk we are happy – but our mission is to help many more than that!” they wrote on their Kickstarter page.
Here’s how it will work: Shelters will sign up on walkzee and list the dogs who could use a stroll. Walkers will then search for dogs by location, and then reach out to the specific shelter to set up a walk time.
“So many dog lovers don’t have a dog to spend time with, because of their job or home situation. Meanwhile, so many dogs wait for a walk in a shelter. We think this is crazy,” Charlie Saunders told the Huffington Post.
Not only are the walks beneficial for dogs and humans alike, but it could also potentially jumpstart the adoption process, the Saunderses say. They plan on launching in June, just in time for peak dog park season.
H/T Huffington Post | Photo via walkzee
