Update 12/18 - We are so thankful for all our contributors! We also want to make it clear that there is no need to give a lot. If you like what you read and what we are doing, please just contribute a dollar now before you forget. It doesn't take much to show that you care about the cause.

53% of dogs are obese.

Obesity is not only a problem for humans, but dogs also! One essential way to keep your dog fit is by walking it regularly. You don't want your pooch to get chubby, so it is essential for you to make sure you are providing him with enough exercise each day. Many people do not know this, but some dogs require four or more walks per day. That's a lot! We know that not everyone has time to walk their dogs this much and we also know that it is difficult to find a good dog walker to do the job. Without enough walks per day, your dog could develop debilitating health conditions and it could even shorten his life. We don't want to let that happen and neither should you!

We're here to help.

The Dog Walking Co. is a Los Angeles based startup headquartered in Silver Lake. We aim to educate dog owners in order to bring dogs the care they need, as well as get jobs for people who love animals. Every extra dollar raised beyond our goal will be donated to the animal shelters and rescues that we partner with. As dog owners, we know that walking your dog is incredibly important for keeping your dog healthy. We also know that many people do not have enough time in their busy schedules to walk their dogs as much as they should. After having trouble finding a trustworthy dog walker for our Shiba Inu, Keep, we decided that we could create a better way to find and hire dog walkers. 

The dog walking marketplace is fragmented where walkers receive business largely through "word-of-mouth." People compete for ad space on telephone poles, bulletin boards, and Craigslist. Upon interviewing dog owners and walkers, we found that the major issue was trust. People love their dogs like their children, and they want to place their dogs in the same care they would place their sons and daughters. Neither flyers at your local pet store, nor Craiglist ads are particularly effective in proving to people that you can be trusted. We believe that we can scale this word-of-mouth marketplace by creating online profiles, where everyone is trained, insured, and can easily market their experience caring for dogs, including references from friends and people whose pets they've cared for. Think AirBnB for dog walkers!

How do we create trustworthy walkers? Simple.

We offer free, bi-weekly training meetups where animal lovers interested in earning a few extra bucks or creating a business through dog walking can learn what it takes from a pro. We work with top-quality trainers like Melissa Munoz and Erika Lake. They will be the trainers running the group training prize for our largest contributors. At these meetups, our walkers learn how to interact with and maintain control of multiple dog personalities so that they are prepared to safely handle anyone's dog as if it were a child. 

Additionally, we partner with local animal shelters and rescues, including Ken-Mar Rescue, Sachi Animal Rescue, Lhasa Happy Homes, and Molly's Mutts and Meows. Our partners help us find great walkers by spreading our message to volunteers and owners at their events. The people our partners market to are animal lovers and have experience interacting with many different dog personalities.

Testimonial

"The Dog Walking Co. has been an active participant at our adoption events by bringing their own group to volunteer to help walk the dogs and help with “day of” activities. They have also been avid supporters, and donors, to our fundraisers by not only contributing “in-kind” donations, but also initiating a Facebook-anchored fundraiser that helped raise hundreds of dollars for our orphans. 

Their outside-of-the-box, “can do” attitude can be seen by the way they approach their business model. They make sure all of their team members have access to training and support along the way to becoming seasoned dog handlers and walkers."

-Martie Petrie and Ken Guild 

Co-Founders, Ken-Mar Rescue