Four Apps for Pet Owners to Simplify Pet Care

November 1, 2024 TruthUSA

These apps can help dog owners travel with their canine companions or keep them safe and healthy.

Pet owners can use apps like BringFido, Barkio, DogHood, and DogLog to help them get the most out of traveling with their dogs or to assist them in keeping their four-legged friends safe and healthy.

BringFido

BringFido is an app that includes more than 500,000 dog-friendly places to stay, play, and eat in over 14,000 cities around the world.

Users can book a pet-friendly hotel room using the app’s search function with the ability to sort by distance, popularity, rating, price, or recommended places.

Courtesy of BringFido

“Every pet owner’s success story makes us proud, but those when we’ve helped members of the military relocate their families and pets across the country are pretty high on the list,” Erin Ballinger, destinations editor of BringFido, told The Epoch Times in an email. “We also have helped thousands of people evacuate from natural disasters to pet-friendly locations in their time of crisis and that always makes us feel good.”

She said you can find nearby attractions, upcoming dog events, and local resources such as dog walkers, groomers, sitters, veterinarians, and pet supply stores. Users can share a photo of their dog enjoying his favorite spot. You can even leave reviews of pet-friendly attractions within the app.

(Courtesy of BringFido) — Courtesy of BringFido

She added that you can use search filters to find hotels that welcome big dogs and multiple pets. You can also narrow results to browse hotels that don’t charge a pet fee.

With over 30,000 pet-friendly places in California, the Golden State is a great destination for pet owners because there are so many dog-friendly outdoor activities like beaches, state and national parks, hiking and cycling trails, and restaurants with large patios, Ballinger said.

She said that the editors at BringFido noted some of the most dog-friendly places to visit in the Golden State in a blog post.

She also talked about how CEO Melissa Halliburton founded BringFido.

“Shortly after rescuing her first dog, Rocco, in 2004, Melissa grew frustrated with the need for pet policy information on hotel websites. After a year of research, in which she and her friends called every hotel in the United States, Melissa launched BringFido with the mission of making pet travel easier,” she said.

Melissa Halliburton, founder and CEO of BringFido. (Courtesy of BringFido) — Melissa Halliburton, founder and CEO of BringFido. Courtesy of BringFido

She said in addition to launching and managing BringFido, which is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Halliburton is the co-author of “Ruff Guide to the United States,” a book that features 365 of the best places to visit with your dog in all 50 states.

BringFido is available for download on iOS and Android.

Barkio

Barkio is a pet monitoring app. In other words, it works like a baby monitor for your pet.

It works by using two devices. One you carry as the viewer, and one is left at home to video your pet. The app says you can use old phones, tablets, or laptops.

Courtesy of Barkio

“The idea to create a pet monitoring app came very unexpectedly,” Katerina Bouzkova from TappyTaps, the developer of the app, told The Epoch Times via email. “We first developed an app to monitor babies. To our surprise, we started to see in user reviews that people were using the app not only to monitor babies but also to monitor pets.”

She said this feedback was important and was what led to the making of Barkio, tailored specifically for monitoring pets, particularly dogs.

“We started to learn more about the issue of separation anxiety. After discussions with several veterinarians and canine psychologists, we modified the app to be more effective in addressing separation anxiety,” she said.

She added that in collaboration with experts, led by veterinarian Dr. Hana Zertova, they’ve created an online dog separation anxiety guide.

(Courtesy of Barkio) — Courtesy of Barkio

The app also includes voice commands in which users can record commands in their own voices and use them anytime with just a click.

Another tool is an activity log providing a detailed overview of your dog’s behavior over time. You can review all detected events, like movements and noises, and play captured videos. You can use the data from the activity log to plan your day, adjust the intensity of your dog’s training, and even share it with your vet for consultations.

“Barkio allows you to interact directly with your pet. You can talk to your dog through the app, providing reassurance with your voice,” Bouzkova said. “Even more, you have the option to show your face to your dog, which can be a great way to calm them down if they’re feeling anxious or lonely.”