We have Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and a million other social networks to connect with others. But what about our furry friends? Well, a new company is hoping to lend a helping paw.
With its motto, “No Humans Allowed,” app Petzbe looks to bring dogs (okay, cats and other animals, too) together in an online network, where owners can enjoy the benefits of being part of a community of pet fanatics.
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“It’s such a positive place to be that’s completely free from human seriousness,” says Andrea Nerep, the founder of Petzbe. “Everyone is so funny, loving and supportive of each other, and it’s wonderful to see how empathetic they are to both serious and not serious matters.”
Focusing on the world through the animal’s viewpoint, users can “sniff and lick” others (our equivalent to “following” and “liking”) and place pet-focused filters over photos (e.g. a hungry dog might get a “snack attack” sticker).
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There are also weekly conversational topics, like favorite treat, places to snuggle and how they met their human. And Petzbe also does monthly “Lend a Paw” challenge where users snap pics of their paws. For every pic uploaded, Petzbe donates to a charity.
Nerep has been impressed with the humor, engagement and support since Petzbe’s soft launch in March.
“If a pet is complaining about food portion sizes, users have reacted exactly as they believe their pets would, saying things like ‘It’s preposterous! I’ve seen my human eating a whole bucket of ice cream, and what do I get?”’
She adds that the animal community also rallies when discussing serious issues.
“A pet was recently talking about his human coping with a severe depression and asking for advice on how to support her,” Nerep says “The other pets and users rallied around the pet and gave her advice, support and compassion, without even knowing the pet’s human. I’ve truly been amazed by many of the conversations.”
Up next for Petzbe is to launch an Android app, further expansion into the Asian market and exploring an adoption program.
