August 26th, is National Dog Day. The holiday is dedicated to celebrating dogs and the important role they play in our lives while also bringing attention to the vast amount of dogs that still need to be rescued. One of the best ways to celebrate this special day is by adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue, however, it’s important that you find the right dog for your life!
A new pet adoption platform, PawsLikeMe, matches adopters with dogs using a proven algorithm which they claim has over 90% accuracy in predicting people-to-pet compatibility. It’s compared to eHarmony for people who are looking for an animal companion.
“70% of pets are re-homed more than once in their lifetime,” said Elizabeth Holmes, CEO and co-founder of PawsLikeMe. “Our genuine hope is that by providing a better way of matching pets with their new families, we can change that and find them not just a home, but the right home. My co-founders are a veterinary animal behaviorist and a social worker with a psychology specialization. They combined their skillsets to develop our proprietary personality assessment.”
PawsLikeMe’s personality assessment is based on four core personality traits that influence the human-canine bond: energy, focus, confidence and independence. The matching system also takes into account personality, lifestyle and home environment when generating a score. Initial results are based solely on compatibility, but users can then further narrow down their compatible matches by personal preferences, such as size, age, or breed.
PawsLikeMe also provides an alternative for people looking to safely re-home their pets, and gives shelters and rescues a place to refer families when they don’t have space or funds to take on another animal. Additionally, as a part of its commitment to animal welfare, PawsLikeMe donates 50-percent of any adoption fee originating from a shelter or rescue group referral.
“Re-homing a pet isn’t easy for anyone, but we have created an empowering situation where an owner surrendering their animal can feel comforted in knowing the pet will be going to a good match,” said Holmes “We’ve been there, and we know it’s a heart-breaking situation for all involved. We’re here to be a resource and a matchmaker to create the safest and happiest situation for animals and the people who care for them.”
Pets listed with the site must be spayed or neutered, so PawsLikeMe offers vouchers for re- homers to use toward altering the pet at designated low-cost clinics before adoption. PawsLikeMe also provides adopting pet parents with incentives to kick start a successful new relationship. The adoption package includes free 30-day full coverage pet insurance, more than $100 in pet product discounts and coupons and a PawsLikeMe guide for new adopters with tips and tricks on making the move to a new home easy. Additionally, new pet parents get their pet’s profile transferred to them on PawsLikeMe, and can benefit from integrated social media tools and online pet parenting advice to keep their new relationship happy and healthy.
PawsLikeMe’s mission is to help people and pets find each other, and live happier lives together. For more information, please visit: http://www.pawslikeme.com
Featured image: iStock