SEATTLE & SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rover.com, the nation’s largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers, and DogVacay, a leading online and mobile pet-sitting community, today announce that they are joining forces.
Over the past five years, Rover and DogVacay have created an entirely new category, giving pet parents access to convenient, trusted, affordable pet care options, whether it’s in-home dog boarding, pet sitting or dog walking. Today the companies unite to advance their common mission—to make life better for dogs and the people who love them.
With this deal, the companies continue to transform the $15 billion pet care industry. By combining resources, pet parents will have access to the largest network of more than 100,000 5-star sitters, offering a range of services, in thousands of cities in every state across the U.S. and Canada. To date, millions of services have been booked through the companies, which generated over $150 million in bookings in 2016.
“Rover and DogVacay are both made up of dog people on a mission to enable everyone to experience the love and joy of a pet,” said Aaron Easterly, Rover’s CEO. “Together, we can accomplish our goals quicker and make an even bigger impact. Plus, this partnership will enable us to pick up engineering velocity, bring new products to market faster and invest even more aggressively in building the best tools for our sitters and dog walkers.”
The partnership gives dog owners nationwide the benefit of unprecedented coverage and choice in neighborhood pet care. It’s also an enormous opportunity for pet sitters and dog walkers who’ll benefit from the combined resources, insights, and educational tools of both brands. But most importantly, dogs will benefit from the individualized care they receive, and from both companies’ relentless focus on the well-being of pets nationwide.
“Growing DogVacay with my team over the past five years across the U.S. and Canada has been an incredible journey,” said Aaron Hirschhorn, DogVacay’s CEO. “Our goal has always been to make quality pet care accessible to everyone, and with Rover and DogVacay’s experience and expertise, we will continue to create the best solution for our host community, our pet parents and most importantly, our pets that we love as family.”
The combined companies expect to accelerate international expansion efforts. Rover’s headquarters will continue to be in Seattle and led by Easterly as CEO. Hirschhorn will join Rover’s Board of Directors.
About Rover
Rover.com connects pet parents with the nation’s largest network of loving and trustworthy pet sitters and dog walkers. Through Rover, pet parents can discover, book, and manage personalized care for their dogs, including pet sitting, dog walking, in-home dog boarding, and doggy day care. Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the unconditional love of a dog, Rover improves and simplifies life for pet parents and the dogs they love. By removing common pet care obstacles, Rover ensures dogs nationwide are happy and well-cared for even when their owner is away and empowers dog lovers to live fulfilling lives. Services are booked through Rover every minute of every day, and more than 92% of the population lives within a short drive of a Rover sitter. Over 95% of reviewed bookings have received a perfect 5-star rating. The platform offers premium insurance for all services booked through Rover, secure online payments, world-class customer support, vet consultations, a 24/7 team of trust and safety experts, Rover Cards including walk maps and activity tracking, mobile apps, photo and video sharing, and general background checks for sitters.
About DogVacay
DogVacay is an online and mobile community that connects pet parents in need of pet care services (home dog boarding, pet sitting, doggie daycare) with qualified pet caregivers. DogVacay’s vetted and insured dog (and cat!) lovers across the country are ready to watch your pet like they are a member of their family. Guests can browse hosts in their area, schedule and book online or through DogVacay’s mobile app. All reservations include vet insurance, 24/7 emergency support and daily photo updates. DogVacay was founded by husband and wife team Aaron Hirschhorn and Karine Nissim in March 2012.
