On-Demand Dog Walking App Wag! Launches in Denver
Relief is on the way for Denver’s 91,000 dogs. No, Mayor Michael Hancock isn’t opening more dog parks — yet. But Wag!, the first app to provide dog owners with instant access to quality dog walkers, is today introducing its on-demand dog walking service in Denver. The Mile High City is the milestone 10th Wag! market, following successful Wag! launches in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and other U.S. cities.
With as little as 30-minutes notice, busy dog owners can book an insured, bonded and certified Wag! walker to care for their canine. After pick-up, pet parents can track their dog’s walk in real time using their smartphone’s GPS. Wag! ends each walk with a “Pup Report” that includes a picture/video of the pet, map of the walk and a “pee” and “poop” report. Wag! charges $20 for a 30-minute walk, and an additional $5 per dog in the same household.
“With a growing number of dog parks, boutiques and access to more than 80 miles of trails in the Mile High City, Denver is paradise for dogs and dog walkers — and an obvious choice to launch Wag! locally,” said Jason Meltzer, co-founder and chief dog walker, Wag!. “And for time-crunched pet owners here, Wag! delivers peace-of-mind by essentially putting a trusted and insured dog walker in their pocket.”
Meltzer previously founded Surfdog LA, one of Southern California’s most beloved dog walking businesses. Along with CEO Joshua Viner, Meltzer launched Wag! in 2015 to make dog ownership easier for everyone. Viner himself, a busy tech entrepreneur in Los Angeles, was reluctant to own a pet, given his schedule. (Viner now owns two dogs who enjoy Wag! walks near Viner’s West Hollywood office.)
With more than 7,500 pets lost and abandoned annually in Denver, Wag! is also using its platform to encourage pet adoption. In the coming weeks, Wag! will announce plans to partner with local Denver animal shelters to donate walks to new pet parents.
About Wag!
Founded in January 2015, Wag! is an on-demand app-based mobile service that allows dog owners to hire rigorously vetted and background-checked dog walkers for 30- and 60-minute walks. All Wag! services are insured and bonded. The app notifies owners when the walk begins, and it allows them to follow the walk through Wag!’s GPS-based “Puppy Tracker”. At the end of the walk, the owner receives a “Pup Report” indicating distance traveled and time, along with a “pee and poo” record, a photo and any notes the walker may need to communicate.
