Small Business Labs: DogVacay - Airbnb for Dogs Raises $6 Million

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November 16, 2012

DogVacay - Airbnb for Dogs Raises $6 Million

OK, I have to admit I think this is a great idea. DogVacay is an Airbnb-like service for dogs. The site lets users search for, find and hire dog sitters for the day, overnight or longer stays. According to the site, the sitters:

"range from professional pet sitters with ranches to experienced dog lovers in cozy homes and they can't wait to meet your pup!"

They even provide a doggy concierge to help you pick the right sitter and plan activities for your dog.

According to an article in BetaKit, the site recently raised $6 million dollars to expand their business. The article also mentions DogVacay's competitor, Rover, which recently raised $3.5 million.

It's pretty clear that VCs and entrepreneurs believe in the "pet humanization" trend. For more on this trend, see our Pet Trends section.

Betakit also has a great article on the broader trend of startups going after the $53 billion pet market.

Posted by Steve on November 16, 2012 at 01:00 AM in Pet Trends | Permalink

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Small Business Labs

Tracking and Forecasting the Trends Impacting the Future of Small Business