If you have a pet and you travel a lot, you know how difficult it can be to find someone to look after your furry buddy. Asking a friend, and then trying to give them money for their troubles, is often a pretty awkward affair.
Spotwag, a service that opened its paws — oops, I mean, doors — earlier this year hopes to help people ask their close friends to look after their pets through Facebook and Twitter.
To use Spotwag people sign in with a Facebook account and are then asked to set up a profile for their pet. Cats and dogs are welcome on the service.
When a pet owner is heading out of town, they list the dates they need help and how much they are will to pay a sitter. The listing is then shared online with their social networks.
Kim Vogt, Spotwag’s co-founder, said she started the service with her co-founder Chris Wake after they both repeatedly struggled to find reliable pet-sitters for their dogs.
“Asking friends to help with these things is generally awkward because you feel like you’re putting them on the spot,” Ms. Vogt said. “My co-founder and I quickly realized with SpotWag that so many people’s friends are willing to help with a pet.”
I personally used Spotwag this weekend for Pixel, my 3-year-old mutt, who, according to her fancy new Spotwag profile, has a fondness for chasing her own shadow, likes long walks on the beach, and loves to cuddle. I quickly had a volunteer and offered to pay a friend $25 a night and a couple of bottles wines for his trouble.
Being that I’m friends with Pixel’s petsitter, I’m also getting regular updates via text message and Twitter about her day. (Apparently, she’s been sleeping a lot.)
Ms. Vogt said Spotwag hopes to “dehumanize the entire transaction” so it becomes friends doing a favor for each other rather than an exchange of money even though money often changes hands.
Spotwag isn’t alone in the petsitting arena. Two other services, Rover.com and Petvacay.com, also hope to help people find assistance with their pets.
Ms. Vogt said Spotwag is trying to develop trust between people, rather than create a large-scale pet sitting enterprise.
Spotwag has been self-financed until now, but the co-founders hope to get financing in the next few months. They then plan to take the service beyond people you might know, to trusted third parties, including professional petsitters and services. Ms. Vogt also hopes to work with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals too and help enable people to foster and care for animals that need rescuing.
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