I'm so excited for Bark'N'Borrow to be on Product Hunt today! When I came to Los Angeles from Australia a few years ago I brought little more than my dreams of making it in the music business with me. Music was, and still is, one of my greatest passions. After much persistence and a bit of luck I was fortunate enough to land a job that thrust me on a trajectory towards my wildest dreams. But, much to my surprise, I wasn’t happy.
It was around this time that I took to another passion of mine and hit the trails, running daily around different parts of Los Angeles, searching inward and hoping to find my true calling. During these runs I would often see people running with their dogs. Having grown up around dogs my whole life, I found myself wishing that I had a companion of my own to accompany me on runs and spend time with.
With the rapport I’d established with some of the folks who trekked the same routes I did, I started offering to take their dogs for a run or watch them if they were busy. I wasn’t necessarily planning to do it for free, but in truth it was just for the chance to hang out with a furry friend. Not surprisingly, people jumped at the opportunity to have a helping hand and another way for their pooch to get the exercise and affection that they so deserved. They were a little surprised, however, when I refused to take any money for it.
Spending time with the dogs was not only beneficial for the busy owners and the dogs themselves, but it was good for me too. Countless studies have been conducted that illustrate the positive effects spending time with animals can have on our mental and physical health — and it’s something that anyone who has had a pet can attest to.
And this is when it hit me. What if there was a community for dog lovers whose principal currency was the symbiotic benefits that being around dogs provides?
We've built Bark‘N’Borrow around the belief that dogs make our lives better and there should be a platform that connects people who share that belief. For people who crave K-9 companionship but might not be the type to stop a stranger on the street and offer to watch their dog, for those who think their pup deserves more than an expensive 15 minute stroll down the block — and all dog lovers in between — we hope Bark‘N’Borrow is the answer!
@samcambridge we collect the same information, that we collect for sitters and walkers. We do a lot of vetting on our end to ensure users are using the service for correct reasons. From there we only want to connect genuine dog lovers to Dog Owners, just like we connect paid, Sitters and Walkers to Owners. We also recommend that no arrangement happens unless you've met in person at least once.
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