Dogways, a company based out of Rochester, New York, launched their free iOS pet app earlier this year. The app, also called Dogways, allows dog owners to find fun, pet-friendly activities to do with their dog every day. The company’s goal for users, and the slogan they use, is to make “Every Day an Event for Your Dog.”
The app allows users to create and search events in their area without having to join any special groups. It offers an interactive map that shows dog owners all of the events in and around their city and also provides a list of the dogs in the area that will be attending. Presently, the app only shows the current day and one week into the future, but they are hoping to expand quickly.
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Andy Simon, founder and CEO of Dogways, said that he thought of the idea for the app after numerous trips to the dog park and finding that there were hardly ever any dogs there for his pup Marley to play with. After years of this, and a terrier that was desperate for a playmate, Simon created the app to give all dog owners in his situation a tool to help socialize and exercise their dog every day.
Socialization is important for the overall well-being of all dogs. It provides them with the skills they need to cope with new experiences in a positive way, reduces their stress level, and provides them with the exercise that they require.
Much like social networks for humans, users of the Dogway app are able to create events in many different ways; by dog size, dog breed, for public view, private view, or for their friends only. Users register as their dogs, so no personal information is shared. They only connect dog to dog.
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The app lets dog parents set up walks, playdates, and larger events with their dog’s happiness and socialization in mind. Users can create their own events or simply browse and join events created by other users. They can also invite friends to public or private events and see what activities other dogs in their area are up to at that moment.
Right now, the app is only available for iOS users in New York, but the company has three other launch parties scheduled for April, and they plan on rolling the app out nationally later this year. They are hoping to expand to Android operating systems this year as well.
