My co-founder Krista and I met at her veterinary practice in February of 2012. Krista was hosting a spay & neuter clinic for feral cats and I had just started an animal rescue. I was fortunate enough to be invited to stop by and visit the clinic.
After all the spays & neuters were done, Krista and I were introduced and we quickly started talking about the challenges faced by companion animals and their caregivers, as well as the veterinarians, pet professionals, and rescues that are dedicated to helping them. Then, in a single sentence that would forever change my life, Krista said: “I’ve been working on this idea to help pets and people and I’d like to talk to you about it”. That idea was what would soon become Pawbly.
We spent the following spring and summer talking and planning, exchanging ideas, and looking at good and bad examples of how we could use technology to help pets. As Krista explained to me and what I now know to be true, “The best way to help pets is to connect the people that care about them with resources”. A couple months later, we had a prototype that we were eager to show off at a local pet expo. We received incredibly positive reviews, but failed to gain the traction we had hoped for.
So we went back to the drawing board and created the second version of Pawbly, codenamed “Mastiff”.
This month, we are very excited to launch the newest version of Pawbly (aka Mastiff). It represents many months of sleepless nights, heated discussions over strategy and direction, and a passion for connecting the people that care about pets with the resources they need to make that care better. The new Pawbly is a full blown social media platform that not only allows pet people to ask questions and get answers but encourages social connections and sharing. We launched a couple of weeks ago and already people are using Pawbly to:
- Get answers to questions about all aspects of pet care including; health, behavior, diet, and product recommendations.
- Share pet pictures and stories with friends and family.
- Follow regular updates from their veterinarian, trainer, and local rescue groups.
- Help other pet people and their pets by sharing experiences and expertise.
- Create support communities (aka “topics”) to share their common experiences with topics such as favorite dog breeds, caring for special needs pets, and animal rescue.
If you share your life with pets, stop by www.pawbly.com, sign up, and have a look around … it’s completely free and always will be. Our community is there for you if you ever have any type of question about pet care. If you are a veterinarian, vet tech, trainer, groomer, nutritionist, rescuer, or you’ve just been around pets for so long that you have a lot of knowledge to share … we need your help … sign up for Pawbly and jump in. As my partner Krista says, “We all started working with animals because we wanted to make a difference in their lives … because we care”. Pawbly extends your ability to care beyond the exam room or facility and directly into the lives of the people and animals that need you the most.
I’m looking forward to seeing you on Pawbly!
Sincerely,
Adam Wysocki
Chief Technology Officer
Pawbly