I spent most of my early 20s living in apartments that didn’t allow animals, but I was still able to get a “dog fix” when I visited my folks and our family dog or hung out with friends who were fortunate enough to find a pet-friendly rental. But not all dog lovers are so lucky, or at least they weren’t until now.
Canine lovers, meet Bark‘N’Borrow. It’s essentially an online matchmaking app, but instead of finding you a potential romantic interest, it aims to match you with a furry, four-legged canine companion that you can play with, walk and maybe even borrow for a sleepover.
The free dog-service app, which some have dubbed the Uber app for dogs, is a win for both four-leggers and two-leggers. It provides dog lovers with canine companionship and pooches with some extra love, sitting services and potentially, exercise – anyone interested in a walk in the park?
“This is the next best thing between not owning a dog and committing to one,” Bark ‘N’ Borrow CEO and founder Liam Berkeley told New York’s Fox 5 News.
Bark ‘N’ Borrow allows dog owners to create pooch profiles. Prospective dog “borrowers” – who are required to pass a company-run background check – also set up profiles with information on themselves, what kinds of dogs they like and why they want to “borrow” a four-legged friend.
App users can then set up a “date” to see if the borrower and the pooch make a connection.
The app can also be used to set up playdates between dogs and dog-sitting services.
Although the app is free for borrowers, dog-sitting services must pay a fee to use it.
Jennifer Jolly, a dog lover living in a strict “no dogs allowed” rental, described her experience borrowing a dog through Bark ‘N’ Borrow in this article in The New York Times.
Jolly said the app enabled her to meet Pickles, a then 5-month-old French bulldog, who provided her family with some much desired canine companionship.
Our night with Pickles was everything we had hoped for and more. Pickles wrestled with my daughter’s long hair and snuggled on my lap. After a few barks when my husband got home from work (a watch dog!), Pickles ended up sleeping in our bed, right between our heads.
The next day Pickles traveled with my family to a cross-country meet, where he mingled with other dogs, high schoolers and parents who wanted to know where they could borrow a dog too.
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