B.C.-based Go Fetch, the Airbnb for dogs, launches in Edmonton
It was only a matter of time.
Canadians are spending more money on their pets than ever before, and technology continues to overturn the status quo on everyday tasks, from booking taxis with Uber to hotels with Airbnb.
Go Fetch, a Vancouver-based company, is the latest startup to enter Edmonton’s growing market for matching dog owners with sitters using the Airbnb model.
“It’s a billion-dollar industry and one that is nowhere near maturity. Tech penetration is very low,” Willson Cross, the company’s cofounder, said Tuesday.
“We felt that finding dog care in Canada was not an easy thing to do. You have Craigslist, but you don’t really know the quality of care you’re getting with a stranger,” Cross said. “We wanted to make a platform that dog owners can find trusted, loving care, and we’re seeing incredible demand for that in Edmonton.”
Dozens of local dog sitters already have profiles on the American website Rover, which provides a similar service. Browsing the Go Fetch website offers a nearly identical experience to finding overnight accommodations on Airbnb.
Dog owners can search through a list of dog sitters organized by location, the amount they charge per night or their user rating.
“We have a rigorous application process and only accept about 15 per cent of applicants,” Cross said. “We vet with real humans and technology, and we look at the most granular things such as quality of past experience with dog care.”
One of the three Edmonton sitters approved for the site is Mil- dred Thill, whose profile proclaims that dogs in her Old Strathcona neighbourhood know her as “she who scratches the bellies.”
Thill jumped at the opportunity to host pets on a regular basis.
“I’m not looking at it as a way to make money; I just thought it would be fun,” she said. “Dogs really like me, and I like to teach them little tricks.”
For $25 per night, Thill advertises she will take them on walks twice per day in Mill Creek Ravine, provide potty breaks every two to four hours and even administer medicine.
She described Go Fetch’s vetting process as fairly rigorous, having to confirm her identity through Facebook, a driver’s licence and a social insurance number.
For $35 per night, Alyssa from the northwest end of the city offers doggie baths and a home with air conditioning, while Jill in the Beverly area offers a doggie daycare starting at $12 for a half day.
“Our service is very customercentric; we are always in touch with our sitters and reviewing their performance because our top priority is providing the safest and most trustworthy sitters,” Cross said. “We want to give that peace of mind to all dog owners.”