There’s a handful of dating apps out there that promise to find you love merely based on your location or your love of pizza. (Who doesn’t like pizza?) But now there is a new kind of dating app — designed by pet lovers for pet lovers.
If you’ve ever wondered what went into creating FetchaDate, a dating app that aims to put pet lovers in the driver’s seat, I’m here to dish.
Hi, I’m Sheryl Matthys, the Pet Lovers Matchmaker! I created the app, Fetchadate, to make online dating easier for those who get that pets are part of the pack! Here’s the behind-the-scenes scoop.
FetchaDate started with the help of a WingPet
The idea for FetchaDate came to me on the streets of New York City. I hadn’t planned on it. Well, maybe I should say the idea really came to me and my first Greyhound, Shiraz.
Heading out on the city streets felt isolating, even though I was surrounded by the bustling city. Most often I, like everyone, was in a hurry and running down the street to catch the next subway train for my next commercial audition. I was new to the area (from the Midwest) and didn’t really know anyone. Conversations and making friends were challenging, let alone friendly eye contact.
My first dog, Shiraz, lived with me on a fourth-floor walk-up on 25th street/6th Ave. From our very first walk together, everything changed. People wanted to talk. They stopped to swap pet stories or to give Shiraz a friendly pat. That’s when I realized pets are the secret sauce to meeting others and building quality relationships.
Before the FetchaDate app
The idea of FetchaDate would take some time to perfect.
As a former TV news reporter in NYC, I launched into commercial acting. (I was also hired for jobs in print, voice-overs, fit modeling for Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, and even hand modeling like George Castanza!) While awaiting an audition one day, I thought about connecting pet lovers as a show idea. So, first came “Heads or Tails,” a reality TV show pilot that I created, hosted, and produced, based on pets being the matchmakers for love.
I started co-hosting single dog lover events called “Leashes and Lovers” in chic martini lounges. At these events, dog lovers spilled it all to me—from dating dilemmas to everyday challenges with pets, including celebrities like Howard Stern, Rachael Ray and Cesar Millan. Pet lovers had so much to share in these interviews that I wrote an entire book called, “Leashes and Lovers: What Your Dog Can Teach You About Love, Life, and Happiness”.
I discovered first-hand how important it is to dog lovers to connect with a date and potential partner who is fond of dogs. Pet lovers clearly needed a dating app!
What makes FetchaDate different
In my interview with Wear Wag Repeat, founder Tori says that she’s been going to dog parks for 20 years and hasn’t found her pet-loving soulmate, despite her friends’ advice. We get your pain, Tori! Dog parks could be a good place to spark a friendship and sometimes a relationship, but the truth is that you have no idea who is single at the park or if they’re even looking for a relationship.
This is where dating apps narrow down the pool to eligible singles (hopefully) that are looking for some kind of romantic relationship. But, unlike those other dating apps that throw you into a pool of singles merely based on a location or a vague interest, FetchaDate helps you find a match based on your pet connection and then specifically around your WingPet.
Your match doesn’t need to like every pet in the world; they just need to like yours (and you like theirs, if they have one).
At FetchaDate, your WingPet makes the first introduction.
If you currently don’t have a pet, don’t worry. No Pet, No Problem™. We offer Virtual Pets to choose from to represent you first in the app to help you connect with other pet lovers.
