A German animal shelter put pets on Tinder and is making international headlines for it. Would you swipe (or should we say swat?) right for the perfect companion cat or dog? According to the Munich Animal Welfare Association, they’ve seen an enormous response in short order.
After going on the dating app, users can see full bios for adoptable cats and dogs. If you swipe right, you’ve set a “date” at the shelter after a preliminary interview.
Jillian Moss, who works at the shelter, told KHOU 11 News how much she loves seeing pets on Tinder.
“Well, quite simply, it’s fun. Why always have these boring ads in newspapers?” she said.
“We thought we’d join young people. Sure, there are older ones on Tinder too – to follow a trend. This is something new, something creative which we definitely support,” she told Reuters.
Creating profiles for cats and dogs on Tinder via YouTube
Pets on Tinder Get Professional Profiles
After hiring an advertising agency to create slick profiles pets on Tinder, the idea was instantly hot.
“The response is insane, it’s exploding everywhere,” Moss said.
Now, the shelter is getting solid leads for new homes, fielding calls from Tinder users.
Image via YouTube
Jillian Moss, Munich Animal Welfare Association via YouTube
Helping Pets on Tinder that Are Overlooked
When choosing the first pets on Tinder, the thoughtful shelter and agency decided not to focus only on the young, cute puppies and kittens. Writer, Benjamin Beilke, says they focused on the animals with history who were having trouble finding their forever homes.
“I hope these animals really find a new partner, a “purrfect match” in the long run, and not just for a few weeks,” he said.
Then, Beilke noted that it isn’t just people who are lonely. Today, countless dogs and cats are looking for companionship and a new lease on life too.
“Other than that, it was important for us to highlight that there aren’t only lonely souls among humans, but there are also a lot of lonely souls among animals,” he continued.
Benjamin Beilke focuses on promoting adoptions for disadvantaged pets, image via YouTube
See the creative Moss and Beilke below from Reuters and Global Heroes:
Dating Apps Designed for Cat or Dog Lovers
Now, you could soon find a wonderful pet on Tinder, and you might find a human date too. But, did you know there’s an app to help find dates who are also cat lovers? For those who prefer dogs, the app’s creators, Leigh, Keith, and Casey Isaacson, previously created one just for you called Dig.
Tabby Dates, screenshot via YouTube
Tabby Dates
Recently, we shared a story about Tabby Dates. It’s a new app exclusively for cat lovers wanting to find a match who shares their love for felines.
Plus, you can look for friendships with other cat lovers in the “Cat Tree” social feed. Now, you can find a partner or friend who totally gets it when you devote so much time to creating a cat paradise at home. Even better, a portion of proceeds benefits cat rescue groups and adoptions.
See more about Tabby Dates from 8 News Now Las Vegas below:
A Spike in Animals Taken to Shelters Post-Pandemic
At the German animal shelter, they, for now, are seeing a rise in animal adoptions. However, they are also aware that the trend may soon change as the pandemic subsides.
In the United States, pet adoptions saw a spike as isolated and lonely people sought companionship. However, now shelters are seeing a big rise in returned animals. Sometimes, people lost income due to Covid-19. Other times, they lost their own homes. In some cases, they found caring for cats or dogs inconvenient.
Today, over 69 million American homes own dogs while 45 million homes have cats, reports the American Pet Products Association. Of those pets that people dropped at shelters, many can make wonderful pets and aren’t “damaged goods,” says Chloe Esperiquette from Wags and Walks, an LA adoption center.
“They were just a problem for somebody for some reason and they ended up in the shelter for something that wasn’t really their fault and they didn’t really deserve,” she said.
Alternatives to Taking Pets to the Shelter
Rather than returning pets to shelters for whatever reason, you might want to think twice.
“I think the last thing you should do is immediately go to the shelter, says Netflix “Cat People” and “Dogs” producer Glen Zipper. “Let people know that you can’t care for your dog, say that your dog is up for adoption, and let people come to you and meet the dog and make sure that you choose someone who can responsibly care for that dog and give the dog every bit as much love as you can,” he told Reuters.
Now, maybe another idea could be placing photos of pets on Tinder. However, it’s unclear for now if it will catch on or be successful in the US. Before adopting from a shelter or swiping right for pets on Tinder, pet parents must be ready to provide long-term care. Certainly, it’s not like having a hookup; it’s a lifetime commitment. However, it has a huge payoff with the unconditional love and companionship only our furry friends can offer.
More on this from Reuters:
Featured image: smartphone by JESHOOTS-com via Pixabay, Pixabay License with cat by Alexas_Fotos via Pixabay, Pixabay License
