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Source: Reuters
Animals have always been a huge part of Franziska Hall's life.
So much so that she considers her two dogs, Penny and Ella, to be
family.
"For obvious reasons, dogs are wonderful to have. They give
unconditional love and they're wonderful companions, and lots of
fun as well," says the Melbourne ecologist of her Cavalier King
Charles and Golden Retriever-Ridgeback cross.
But Hall's passion for animals has tended to come between her and a
potential human soul mate, because the 33-year often has trouble
meeting like-minded people.
It was something that didn't go unnoticed by Hall's friend, Jodie
O'Brien.
With this in mind, O'Brien and her husband, Tom, started
www.lovemelovemypet.com.au,
a dating website for a particularly niche clientele.
"We started to notice over the years that a lot of our friends are
really intelligent, good looking people, easy to get along with,"
she says.
"But they're having trouble finding a partner simply because they
themselves might be big dog lovers and they can't find someone with
the same passion for animals as them.
"Sometimes it has come down to that making a difference.
"The more we saw that happen, the more we thought there's got to be
a way to help people like that find other people with a similar
passion for animals."
Fortunately for the Brisbane couple, who have two dogs, a love of
animals was just one of the things they had in common before they
got married, and the pair have recently welcomed a third child into
their family - their six-month-old human puppy Leia.
Match-making for animal enthusiasts is just the latest service in
Australia's booming pet industry, which, in recent years has
expanded from pet shops and pooch salons to doggy day-care
facilities, dog sports training, pet portraits and even pet
psychics.
With around 65% of Australian households owning at least one pet,
Sydney dog-owner Brittney Smith recognised the large market for her
website, dogtree.com.au, which she set up earlier this year.
Described by many as Facebook for dogs, dogtree.com.au is a social
networking site where owners can set up backyard playdates for
their cuddly companions, instead of leaving them unsupervised to
cause havoc at home.
Smith said the idea originally came to her after she posted an add
in the local newspaper asking for a playmate for her Tibetan
Terrier, Bear, and received 20 responses the next day.
"From that response I knew there was clearly a need for a service
like this," she said.
With over 3,300 members, the service, which Smith describes as a
"no-brainer", is already a proven success.
Dogtree.com.au has spawned a reliable network of dog-sitters, as
well as dog-walking groups and other activities between like minded
people.
"At a community level, it's fantastic because we're networking with
our neighbours...but also for the pets, it's great for them too
because it means that they have stimulation during the day.
"They're not getting bored because they have a friend to play
with." Now, if Smith is working late she can be assured that a meal
for Bear is just a phone call away.
"His current friend is called Pomplemous, so I can phone
Pomplemous's mum and say `can you feed him for me?' It takes the
pressure off," she says.
With 60 members in the first week, the O'Briens hope that
lovemelovemypet.com.au will also be a hit among pet lovers.
Jodie O'Brien admits she's seen the pet industry come a long way
since she was a child: "If my dog wanted to play with a toy that
made noise he'd go play with our cat. If our cat wanted to play
with a squeaky toy she'd go find a mouse.
"I think the demand has been there and people have finally realised
that."
