Americans love their pets. A lot. And, that means keeping American pets happy is big business.
The average American midsized dog costs its owners $2,889 for their first year. That number includes things like food, supplies and medicine, but leaves out extras like dog walkers, etiquette classes and daycare. Over the course of the dog's life, you can expect to pay out $23,410 for just the essentials. Assuming Fido makes it 10 years, that's $6.41 a day.
There are some really innovative and cool things popping up to pamper our furry, four-legged friends, and capitalize on that market. Here are five companies doing innovative things in the PetTech industry in NYC.
The Dodo is kind of like Buzzfeed or TheChive for people who really like animals. If you want to read about a baby bat that’s being nursed back to health in a baby's sock, or see a trainer mercilessly whip a circus tiger, they're your source.
InstaVet is an on-demand veterinarian service that lets you hit a button on your phone to summon a licensed veterinarian to your doorstep. Fido gets first class treatment, without the stress of having to go to the vet’s office. It's not the nicest thing to think about, but they'll also euthanize animals at home, so at least their last moments can be someplace familiar.
Swifto is kind of like Uber for dog walkers with a strong multimedia element. With their app, you can schedule a time to have someone come and walk Fluffy while you're at work. The app will tell you when they arrive, the route the took (via the walker's phone's GPS) and where your dog pooped — no joke. You even get a photo of the walk sent to you. What's more, they're super-selective about who they hire as walkers, so you can be reasonably sure your pet is in good hands.
Everyone loves getting a package in the mail — even your dog. Bark Box is a wildly popular subscription service that delivers boxes stuffed with dog toys, treats and chews every month. After a couple of months, your dog may rethink their hatred of the mailman.
Ollie makes customized, fresh meals from human-grade food for dogs — and then delivers them to your doorstep. You tell them about your dog and they’ll tailor a recipe that takes into account your dog’s size, age, activity level and breed to make sure they’re getting the nutrients they need. It's like hiring a nutritionist for your dog and meals start at $3 a day.
Have a news tip for us or know of a company that deserves coverage? Let us know or tweet us @builtinnewyork.
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