Online services link pet owners with animal-loving sitters

Emilie Boyer doesn’t have a dog, but spending time with cocker spaniel Ralph more than makes up for it — and the boost to her bank account doesn’t hurt.

Since last October, Boyer has been registered as a pet sitter with Pawshake. The online service con- nects pet owners with animal-loving pet sitters, dog walkers, daycare and home boarding solutions in their communities.

“I grew up with dogs. I love dogs, (but) I’m not too sure (about) getting a dog on my own. Sometimes it can be tricky,” said Boyer, who moved to Toronto from Paris about six years ago. “Honestly, pet sitting is the best compromise I’ve found to be around dogs.”

Rates start at $15 a night and are inclusive of complimentary insurance, 24-7 customer support and daily photo updates. Pawshake retains a 19 per cent contribution from sitters, said co-founder Tanguy Peers.

Would-be clients can comb through online profiles of sitters and are encouraged to meet them ahead of time.

Peers co-founded Pawshake with Dries Coucke, with whom he worked at eBay and Kijiji.

Pawshake now operates i n 15 countries, and has about 1,000 sitters in Canada.

McMaster University professor Nick Bontis said the ease with which potential buyers and sellers can connect is key to driving growth of crowdsourced services.

“That’s what peer-to-peer is all about is having people find each other without the manufacturer or the retailer in the middle,” said Bontis, professor of strategy in the DeGroote School of Business.