Would anyone be interested in trying out a platform for matching dogs with homes and give me some feedback?

[mhantova]

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Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to get some like-minded people like the members of this community to give me some feedback on a website me and my friends/co-founders are working on.

Basically, my friends and I are passionate dog lovers and in the last few years we tried to buy/adopt/foster dogs in the UK but hit significant hurdles. It’s really difficult to find the right fit for your lifestyle/circumstances from the rescue dogs and you have to go through so many sad stories just to realise that you’re no quite right for each other. And if you try to buy, you just end up encountering fraudsters/puppy mills/other horrible people and it’s hard to know who’s genuine.

So with that traumatic experience in mind, we decided that we should do something for all dog/pet lovers to come, and built a platform called ePupp. The essence of it is that you pop your details in and it matches you to rescue dogs and cats in an instant – so you see there and then if you have a chance of being a good home for that animal.

In future, we’ll also get ethical breeders on the platform, where we do all the pre-vetting before an animal is posted. So that way a person looking to rehome will have more confidence in the dog/cat they’re enquiring about.

We launched literally a few days ago and are super excited but what we really need now is some “early adopters” to check the platform out and tell us what they think. I was hoping there would be people in this community keen to do that. Let me know if this is something that sounds interesting to you and if you’d like to be a part of it



TLDR: We’re building a platform to make adoption and rehoming easier and safer in the UK and we’re looking for people to try it out and give us some feedback.

 

[JudyN]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. It's an interesting idea, not that I'm planning on getting a dog for the foreseeable future. How would you liaise with the different rescue organisations? Would they be providing you info on the dogs they have available on an ongoing basis, or would you take the information on their sites? Presumably, if your platform finds a good match, the potential adopter would approach the rescue organisation? How would you fund the platform - membership fees?

 

[Mad Murphy]

Im not in the UK anymore but Ive adopted quite a few dogs and one thing thats missing both when I adopted in the Uk and here in the EU is support afterwards. You agree to adopt a traumatised dog and then youre on youre own.
If you cant cope with odd behaviours or run into problems there is often little or no support, the same with people buying a pup. Read through these forums and you will see here that many people are just not ready or get overwhelmed by puppy behaviour (puppy blues) and there is often no support from the place they purchased the pup from. So they turn here to online forums and other dogs owners.

Education is also a point, Ive adopted a pedigree male beagle who was purchased from a top breeder to be a lap dog to a woman who was so fat she could hardly walk. At what point did that top breeder thing this was a suitable match? Sometimes people need to hear and understand the word NO.. this dog/person is not a suitable match. So thats a big point to make.
The other is that both adoptees and those wanting to give up a dog lie... Adoptees make all sorts of promises they know they cant keep like being able to walk for hours every day and those giving up a dog will tell you he/she is a good dog but my child /I/my spouse/ has an allergy we didnt know about / we are moving, etc they dont mention the terrible SA or the chewing or the nervous barking all night.. lots and lots to consider..

I wish you luck and I hope you can provide safe adoptions ..

 

[JudyN]

Good points, Mad Murphy - guidelines on how to choose a good rescue organisation would also be useful. Although I'm not planning on adopting in the near future, I often read profiles of dogs for adoption which pop up on Facebook. Reading between the lines is essential: 'Would like owners who can be around most of the time', and 'Could possibly go to a family with older, sensible, teenage children'. And of course, rescues that let you have any dog you want regardless of your situation, and don't offer any backup, are a huge red flag.

 

[Flobo]

I agree, and the point about support, post adoption, is really important. It is easy to say you're able to cope with x,y,z and probably said with the best intentions, but the reality of helping a dog with problems is very different and can be overwhelming/exhausting and lifestyle changing, which some people may not be prepared for...
I am interested in having a look at your website,(not that I'm looking to adopt either), information and raising awareness in what you are striving for is a positive thing.

 

[Tinytom]

All of the rescues I have fostered and home checked for already have these measures in place ...
People get cross when they are turned down for a rescue dog as they are not the right home for that dog ...

 

[mhantova]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. It's an interesting idea, not that I'm planning on getting a dog for the foreseeable future. How would you liaise with the different rescue organisations? Would they be providing you info on the dogs they have available on an ongoing basis, or would you take the information on their sites? Presumably, if your platform finds a good match, the potential adopter would approach the rescue organisation? How would you fund the platform - membership fees?

Hi, thanks for the questions! What we're doing at the moment it to speak to charities directly and talk them through the platform and how they can use it to have a great experience both for them and for the future adopters. For example, our forms are easy-to-use, we show a summary of each applicant at a glance + if they are a good match, and we can also handle payments of adoption fees. We spoke to a few charities and admin seems to be a big problem, so we're trying to support where we can on that front as well.

In terms of process, we're helping them put their dogs/cats on the website but ultimately the charities know their animals' needs best, so ideally in future they will be able to do all the uploading, communications and adoptions completely independently (but we're keen to hand-hold at the moment as we learn more about their needs and they get familiar with the website). The cool thing about our postings (if I dare say so myself) is that it's a lot more tailored to the needs of rescue organisations - compared to other similar marketplace sites out there - we allow charities to answer specific questions about the animals rather than put everything in plain text.

On how we'll fund - we want to keep adding rescues a free service forever - we'll only charge a small fee once the payment is complete. We are looking for business partnerships with insurance and pet food providers, which will fund the platform, so we don't have to charge the users.

If you want to have a look around the site, and especially how the animal profiles are showing, we have already got a few rescue dogs from Border Collie GB on the platform. I'm not allowed to post linked but if you pop ePupp in your browser, it should come up

Tell me what you think and thanks you so much!

Maria

 

[mhantova]

Im not in the UK anymore but Ive adopted quite a few dogs and one thing thats missing both when I adopted in the Uk and here in the EU is support afterwards. You agree to adopt a traumatised dog and then youre on youre own.
If you cant cope with odd behaviours or run into problems there is often little or no support, the same with people buying a pup. Read through these forums and you will see here that many people are just not ready or get overwhelmed by puppy behaviour (puppy blues) and there is often no support from the place they purchased the pup from. So they turn here to online forums and other dogs owners.

Education is also a point, Ive adopted a pedigree male beagle who was purchased from a top breeder to be a lap dog to a woman who was so fat she could hardly walk. At what point did that top breeder thing this was a suitable match? Sometimes people need to hear and understand the word NO.. this dog/person is not a suitable match. So thats a big point to make.
The other is that both adoptees and those wanting to give up a dog lie... Adoptees make all sorts of promises they know they cant keep like being able to walk for hours every day and those giving up a dog will tell you he/she is a good dog but my child /I/my spouse/ has an allergy we didnt know about / we are moving, etc they dont mention the terrible SA or the chewing or the nervous barking all night.. lots and lots to consider..

I wish you luck and I hope you can provide safe adoptions ..

These are really great points! I’ve noticed that “after adoption” support is often overlooked here in the UK too. It was interesting for me to hear how some shelters in the USA are putting a lot of focus on post-adoption care. They’ve found that by offering training and advice, they’re seeing fewer failed adoptions, which is great for both the dogs and their new families.

I think starting with some helpful materials for people who are considering adoption could make a big difference. I’m working on a series of articles about being well-prepared when picking a pet companion, which we’ll share directly with our users.

It’s also important to make the adoption process more transparent. We’re looking into ways to share stories of pets after they’ve been adopted and allow users to share their experiences. Reviews from charities, breeders, and adopters could really help with this.

That recent Kennel Club report about people making quick decisions when getting a pet was definitely eye-opening. Hopefully, with more information and support, we can help people make better choices for themselves and the animals.

 

[mhantova]

I agree, and the point about support, post adoption, is really important. It is easy to say you're able to cope with x,y,z and probably said with the best intentions, but the reality of helping a dog with problems is very different and can be overwhelming/exhausting and lifestyle changing, which some people may not be prepared for...
I am interested in having a look at your website,(not that I'm looking to adopt either), information and raising awareness in what you are striving for is a positive thing.

I've shared some of our thoughts on post-adoption (and pre-adoption help to support you in the entire process) in the reply to Mad Murphy above but definitely in agreement that more can be done in general and that we should do more specifically. I have an anxious dog and it's been a mental journey for me to come to terms with this and move away from what I expect my dog to be to accepting what he is and helping him thrive.. so there's probably no such things as "enough" help and everyone in the adoption chain can be doing more to support.

I'm not allowed to post links yet but if you pop ePupp in your browser, we'll come up. It would be amazing to hear your opinion on what we have so far (all be it quite limited) and it you're keen to see the charity side of things, I can set you up with a dummy account too!

I really appreciate all the engagement!

 

[JudyN]

Here's the link: ePupp

You really seem to be putting a lot of thought into this, which is great - so many developers seem to start with the attitude of 'Let's make an app - what shall we do, and how can we make it whizzy?'

A couple of things I noticed - and I really only have time for a glance now - is that the breed list isn't exhaustive - there's no greyhound, for instance. And crossbreed is too vague - if I was adopting, I'd be looking for a sighthound, but that could be a lurcher, greyhound or saluki, so that wouldn't quite work for me. Ideally, you'd have something more tailored. Also, a lot of people want a small/medium dog, or medium/large, so would have to make a couple of searches. It would be nice if you could select, say, medium, large & giant, but not small.

And finally, for now (I should warn you... my day job basically involves finding fault - and my husband would tell you that I'm very good at it ), I had expected to be able to select from a list such as 'OK to be left for a couple of hours', 'OK in a household with children', and so on. It's the sort of thing that could rule a lot of dogs out for prospective adopters.

Soz, one more thing... one option is indoor/outdoor - will any good rescues let people have dogs if they're planning for them to live outside?

 

[mhantova]

All of the rescues I have fostered and home checked for already have these measures in place ...
People get cross when they are turned down for a rescue dog as they are not the right home for that dog ...

Hey,

When I was looking for a foster I definitely experienced the rigour with which charities select the right candidates (and it's the same for adoptions). I think the challenge them comes when there's only a few dogs out there that are suitable for your home and as someone looking to adopt you have to go through dozens if not hundreds of dogs to find the one that might be a good fit.

I think some people will do it but it takes a massive emotional toll - just reading through all the stories and being unable to help because you don't have the right lifestyle/circumstances. Some people would then give up, others will go through a breeder - neither of these are good options for the rescue animals.

What we're hoping to achieve is to have multiple charities all in one place, so when a person is looking, they can see the dogs they're matched with first across all charities. Essentially we can spare them the emotional toll of reading through so many which aren't suitable, and they can focus on the ones which are.

If you want to have a look at what we have so far, I would really welcome further thoughts! You can pop ePupp in your browser and we'll be the first link.

It's really great to hear all these different sides and concerns, so thank you!

 

[Hemlock]

I think too much backstory can be counterproductive (several of my careers involved finding fault to a forensic level!) as people tend to go with emotion - awwww - but choosing a dog should be about common sense - what they can offer the dog, what would be a deal-breaker (for instance I couldn't live with a drooly dog) what specifics the dog/owner combo would need post-rehoming help with e.g. separation anxiety, high exercise needs and similar, are there vulnerable family members with unrealistic expectations (thinking any dog can be a therapy dog, or that the dog should be 'grateful' it has been rehomed) are there other pets to consider, and so on.

 

[Flobo]

For me, I actually found the back stories on the dogs helpful, as it puts issues/behaviours into some kind of context to work from. I have resisted the urge to look at the form prospective adopters have to fill in, but as @Hemlock mentioned do you have a bit asking what they can offer a dog? Maybe I should just have a look...(I think I'll be safe as you don't have any ferrets on there!!)

 

[mhantova]

I think too much backstory can be counterproductive (several of my careers involved finding fault to a forensic level!) as people tend to go with emotion - awwww - but choosing a dog should be about common sense - what they can offer the dog, what would be a deal-breaker (for instance I couldn't live with a drooly dog) what specifics the dog/owner combo would need post-rehoming help with e.g. separation anxiety, high exercise needs and similar, are there vulnerable family members with unrealistic expectations (thinking any dog can be a therapy dog, or that the dog should be 'grateful' it has been rehomed) are there other pets to consider, and so on.

For me, I actually found the back stories on the dogs helpful, as it puts issues/behaviours into some kind of context to work from. I have resisted the urge to look at the form prospective adopters have to fill in, but as @Hemlock mentioned do you have a bit asking what they can offer a dog? Maybe I should just have a look...(I think I'll be safe as you don't have any ferrets on there!!)

No ferrets (yet!). If you have a look at the form (under Quiz), we've kept it fairly factual - "what is your home/area/family etc like.. would you consider dogs with behavioural and health issues". Our thoughts were that the deeper and more nuanced conversation can be had by the charity, as a structured form can only take you so far - but it's a start.

I was quite keen to make the emotional story secondary (if you have a look at the pets, I've kept the structured data at the top and the story at the bottom). But from feedback, it seems like people would love to see some of story to get them engaged - guess we are emotional beings above all.

 

[mhantova]

@JudyN

That's really kind, thank you! We're just a bunch of genuine dog lovers with various experiences trying to come together, to be honest. At some point we felt like fostering and volunteering wasn't doing quite enough.

We’ve already started tweaking the breed and outdoor options based on your suggestions, too!

 

[Mad Murphy]

I found the site but cant register Im not in the uk.. so I cant see what the site is like.

As for back stories...
When I adopted George my beagle I already had a social media page for my other dog Murphy and I sent the owner of George a link. She looked through my photos and decided we were a great match.

I was told George was an escape artist, I was told he needed to be on a tether in the garden because he was destructive at times and would dig under the fence.

What he was is bored,, bored out of his mind. A male beagle kept in a nice garden but a garden none the less, he could see the park and the other dogs he could hear them but he couldnt get to them and it drove him insane.
His owner loved him but fed him rubbish, cheap kibble and left overs.

He came home started a raw diet, got regular bedtime and regular feeding times he also got long walks where he is allowed to track and sniff and snuffle and do what beagles do. Now Id have to say he is a content doggy who loves to sleep on a comfy bed or sofa and who enjoys his walks, he isnt destrucive or loud or any form of escape artist..

Sometimes the behaviour isnt the dog its the situation he/she is in thats the problem.

 

[Flobo]

No ferrets (yet!). If you have a look at the form (under Quiz), we've kept it fairly factual - "what is your home/area/family etc like.. would you consider dogs with behavioural and health issues". Our thoughts were that the deeper and more nuanced conversation can be had by the charity, as a structured form can only take you so far - but it's a start.

I'm glad you said that as I did make an account so I could do the quiz. You answered one of my questions, because I found the form a bit basic considering this could be the starting point of someone adopting or looking for adopters.

My other thoughts on the form were that when you have a drop down menu, I think it would be helpful to have an 'other' option where you can add something more specific, if the options offered aren't quite right. (But I struggle to pick answers if they aren't exactly what I need, tbf!)

The last point I thought would be helpful, (if I was a charity or breeder looking for adopters), is to maybe ask the question 'why do you want to adopt?' and have a space where you can write a short answer. If nothing else it could encourage people to stop and think for a moment in order to write a brief answer... but saying all this I am aware I tend to over think/complicate things sometimes!!

I will have to close my account down though as I don't want to be tempted!! (or I could just leave it dormant I suppose...hmm...)

 

[JudyN]

I'm just registering, and would like to mention that I don't like giving out my phone number or date of birth, or even postal address when it's not essential - I would like the option of only giving my email address for contact information. Is this possible? It's true it would be helpful to know approximately where I live, or to be able to search within a distance from an approximate location, but that shouldn't need exact details.

 

[JudyN]

'Do any children regularly visit your home?': Would it be helpful to specify ages here? I have 2-year-old and 1-month-old grandchildren who often visit - the situation would be different if they were teenagers. (Disclaimer - they are both here at the moment and any apparent issues with the website might be something to do with that )

Once I'd completed the quiz, it seemed to return me to the same page, with no indication that it had been accepted successfully - this may be because I requested a saluki, and you don't have any, but there should be some sort of feedback on this. Also, I'm not sure if the quiz is the same as the form.

'3. Seemless Application Process' - 'Seemless' should be 'Seamless'.

 

[Lucy T]

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to get some like-minded people like the members of this community to give me some feedback on a website me and my friends/co-founders are working on.

Basically, my friends and I are passionate dog lovers and in the last few years we tried to buy/adopt/foster dogs in the UK but hit significant hurdles. It’s really difficult to find the right fit for your lifestyle/circumstances from the rescue dogs and you have to go through so many sad stories just to realise that you’re no quite right for each other. And if you try to buy, you just end up encountering fraudsters/puppy mills/other horrible people and it’s hard to know who’s genuine.

So with that traumatic experience in mind, we decided that we should do something for all dog/pet lovers to come, and built a platform called ePupp. The essence of it is that you pop your details in and it matches you to rescue dogs and cats in an instant – so you see there and then if you have a chance of being a good home for that animal.

In future, we’ll also get ethical breeders on the platform, where we do all the pre-vetting before an animal is posted. So that way a person looking to rehome will have more confidence in the dog/cat they’re enquiring about.

We launched literally a few days ago and are super excited but what we really need now is some “early adopters” to check the platform out and tell us what they think. I was hoping there would be people in this community keen to do that. Let me know if this is something that sounds interesting to you and if you’d like to be a part of it



TLDR: We’re building a platform to make adoption and rehoming easier and safer in the UK and we’re looking for people to try it out and give us some feedback.

I'd be interested in trying this out. I'm beginning to look for a dog and going round in circles in my head about rescue / buying because of many of the things you mentioned - & I've done both in the past.