Just because all dogs are good dogs doesn’t mean pet ownership is easy. Finding the time to take your four-legged friend on a walk can be challenging. Trips to the vet are never fun, both for the poor pooch that’s sick and the human who has to pay the bill.
Fortunately for Chicagoans, the city’s tech community has literally gone to the dogs. From chew toy subscription boxes to on-demand dog walkers, these five local startups are all dedicated to making pet ownership less stressful and more enjoyable.
PupJoy sells customizable subscription boxes filled with artisan treats and toys. Its treats include grain-free snacks and organic options, and PupJoy’s toys are made as soft or durable as your dog demands. The items in each box are sized according to the dog they’re going to, so you won’t have to worry about oversized chew toys or undersized bones. PupJoy also donates $2 of each purchase to the BISSELL Pet Foundation.
Humans have enough problems buying their own health insurance, which is probably why so few pets are insured. Figo is trying to change that with its cloud-based platform. Their tech stores a dog’s entire medical history, sends reminders for shots and allows owners to file claims using their phones.
Through its partnership with GPS dog collar maker Gibi, dog moms and dads can track the location of their pets from the Figo platform. The company also offers cat insurance, if you’re into that sort of thing.
PawPack sells subscription boxes filled with all-natural treats and toys for dogs, but it differs from the competition in a few ways. For starters, shipping is free on all boxes. Also, the toys in each PawPack box are designed for power chewers. They skew more toward durable than indestructible, as the company knows that not all pups are hard chewers.
All the treats, chews and toys inside each PawPack box are hand selected from small and independent businesses to ensure variety.
Urban Leash offers on-demand dog walking and cat sitting to Chicagoans living downtown and on the North Side. All of the company’s pet pros go through a thorough vetting process which means your dog is in good hands.
Notes and photos are taken during each walk, and owners can see exactly where their pet walked thanks to a GPS-tracked route report. One thing that separates Urban Leash from other dog walking startups is its focus on individual attention. Only one dog is walked at a time, even if you have two or more at home.
Even professional dog walkers sometimes have trouble getting dogs to go. That’s where the Pooh-Pee Tracker app comes in. The app was created by Patricia Henderson, founder of Poopy Products, a pet waste management company.
Henderson’s app lets owners mark the spot where their dog has gone. Users can see where other dogs in their neighborhood like to pee and poop and can even connect with other dog owners on the app.
Images via featured social media and Shutterstock.
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