Ever dream of running by the local shelter and borrowing a dog for a few hours? Well now you can!
Walkzee is the first free online platform that connects dog lovers to shelter dogs who are in need of a walking buddy. Created by Cristina and Charlie Saunders from San Francisco, California, this new application offers a new way to relieve stress for the person and the canine.
Saunders’ mission for Walkzee is to help promote the adoption for shelter dogs. By having somebody walk them for a few hours, it shows off the cute canine to potential owners who might be looking to adopt an animal friend.
In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, Charlie explained that a program he and his wife saw while honeymooning in Hawaii inspired Walkzee. At the Kauai Humane Society, they took a dog named Big Z out because the shelter encourages visitors to take the animals hiking or to the beach.
“While on the walk, we talked about how amazing it was as a program,” he said in the interview. “So many dog lovers don’t have a dog to spend time with, because of their job or home situation. Meanwhile, so many dogs wait for a walk in a shelter. We think this is crazy.”
How does it work?
Once you sign up and make your own profile, you are asked to share your current location. By doing this, you are searching for the dogs near by who are in need of some human loving. After you find the closest shelter to you, you are asked to schedule a walk. You pick a day and time that best suits you. Once you request a day a time, the shelter has to then confirm it and then you can go walk your new pal!
After the walk, users have the option to leave reviews and also leave a donation to the shelter.
Saunders hopes that by spreading awareness to this platform, more and more shelters will sign up to give this opportunity to their dogs. He also says that the app might include background checks on walkers. He encourages everyone to make a profile as soon as they can so that they see what dogs are in need.
For more information, visit www.walkzee.com.
We love this idea Cristina and Charlie. But, perhaps a program for cats, too?