Toronto man develops app that acts as 'Tinder' for dogs

TORONTO -

A Toronto man says that an app he created to connect people's furry friends with other playmates has been so successful, he is looking at expanding.

The free app, called "Pawmates," is "very similar to Tinder" creator Colin Jarvis-Gaum told CTV News Toronto. Users can swipe right or swipe left and find dogs in their area who are looking for a friend.

"So if you swipe right on a person, and they've swiped right on you, then it starts a chat," Jarvis-Gaum said.

Users are then free to schedule a meet up.

Jarvis-Guam said he started the app when he saw a need in his own life.

"It actually started with my own dog, he was getting a little bit older," he said.

Jarvis-Gaum's golden retriever named Pal didn't have the same energy as before and couldn't keep up with the young dogs at the park.

"I though to myself it would be great if we could find him some other playmates that were sort of more his speed," he says.

The 27-year-old didn't know the first thing about creating an app. He learned to code by watching YouTube and after some trial and error, Pawmates was born. As oc Oct. 27, they've grown to about 10,000 users, along with a strong presence on social media.

At a Toronto park, many dog owners, like Dayan Servantez, said it's a great idea.

"(Dogs) can have their own socialization, you can have your own exercise, and the dogs exercise too," she said.

Dog walker Anna Koran says she will tell all her clients about this app.

"I think it such a fantastic way, number one for the dogs to get together but also for people to exchange ideas," she said.

As the effectiveness of the Pawmates app has been taking off, the team is now thinking of expanding into other pet related services.

Beyond finding other dogs, users can currently find doggy daycare, walkers, groomers, vets and stores, but Jarvis-Gaum has two new ideas,

"One is lost pet alerts," he said. He got the idea after seeing some Facebook groups spring into action after one of their members lost a pet.

"Another one would be adoptions," he said. The hope is to streamline the process for pets to find there forever home.

While the dogs have been matching, there have been users who have matches too.

"Some people have actually used it to meet significant others," Jarvis-Gaum said. He recently learned through a review on the App Store that two users met using Pawmates and now they are a couple.

So, like many dog owners at the park, you never know where your furry friends may lead you.