Think you’re the most pet-obsessed person you know?
Think again.
With GoPetie, a new online community for pet owners, you can find like-minded individuals who just want to have a good time hanging out at the dog park, Instagramming Fido.
Founded by CEO Diego Alves in 2015, the Boston-based social media startup is designed to help pet owners make new friends and pet playmates in their neighborhood, as well as find support, recommendations and services in their community.
“Pets are like family members,” Alves said. “The pet industry is evolving so quickly, with high-end stores, organic food. Even five years ago, you couldn’t easily find that. But what’s been missing is the community aspect.”
Alves said he was inspired to start GoPetie so that pet owners can expand their networks and help one another out with tasks like dog walking, pet sitting, playdates and more.
Other app features include finding pet-friendly restaurants, hotels and stores, as well as hospitals, clinics and veterinarians. Pet owners can post comments and share information about health and diet concerns, and there’s also a feature for adopting and fostering pets.
The app is based on geolocation, so Boston dog owners can help one another in the event of a missing pet, sending an alert to members in their neighborhood and posting it on Facebook and Twitter.
“Pet owners can help each other out and report anything bad,” Alves said. “Like if you lost a pet, you could send a message out to the members.”
Hiring a regular dog walker or pet sitter can cost hundreds of dollars per week. Alves said he also hopes GoPetie members take advantage of the growing community and save money by doing favors for one another.
The GoPetie app currently has about 2,000 users, and members get access to special promotions from the startup’s partners and invitations to pet events, Alves said. He hopes to have close to 50,000 users by fall 2017.
While the app is free at the moment, Alves said he plans on monetizing the service by the end of 2017, adding premium memberships with additional perks and services for users. The company also eventually plans to charge vets and other partners every time a GoPetie user schedules an appointment on the app.
The company raised $150,000 from angel investors last year and is currently raising its seed round.
Photo via social media
