Mundelein resident Anna LaRocco Masi experienced a sense of isolation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
The 29-year-old wanted to socialize with other pet owners, specifically those who have huskies just like her pet, 5-year-old Helsinki. But she found it difficult to connect.
That’s when she decided it was time for an idea that had been percolating in her mind to finally become reality.
“I had this vision to create an app where like-minded individuals can connect,” LaRocco Masi said. “A forum to reduce the social isolation of people and pets.”
So, with the help of her friend Samar Shah, a software engineer from Kane County, the two confounded Petwrk.
Available on both iOS and Android, the app aims to enable users to find nearby playdates by breed, size, and location, and foster ongoing engagement through photo sharing, therapy meetups and community features.
According to an October Forbes magazine article on pet ownership statistics, as of 2024, 66% of U.S. households have a pet. That’s nearly 87 million homes. And of those pet owners, half reported they consider their pets to be as much a part of their family as a human family member.
The app’s co-founders hope to tap into that group.
The Petwrk beta website went live in September, during an event where around 50, mostly strangers, and 15 dogs gathered, played, ate snacks and sang karaoke at a forest preserve. There, the attendees got to experience that connection the app promises, and learned more about it.
“I like this idea,” Michelle Loren of Grayslake said.
At the website launch party with her 11-year-old daughter Kaylee Padilla, boyfriend Tristan Mangune and their three dogs — ranging in age from 6 months to 9 years — the couple said the app might be what allows them to find a community similar to that of the city of Seattle, Washington, where they said they enjoyed a very dog-friendly lifestyle.
“In Seattle, people take their dogs everywhere, to restaurants and stores,” Loren said.
The couple is looking forward to finding out what the Petwrk app provides their dog-loving family.
“I think what we have is really unique, and I hope people can see that and get involved,” LaRocco Masi said. “We have a real problem with isolation, and so many apps are driven with algorithms to make people more lonely, keeping them inside and increasing their use of technology. This app is designed to get them out in their local community.”
The team said the primary features of the Petwrk app, once launched, will be pet playdate matching, a forum and a blog for pet stories and expert advice.
The goal is to have a fully functional social network for pets and their owners. They also plan to foster partnerships with local businesses and shelters. And the team already has two: The Dog Stop in Mundelein, a boarding, daycare and grooming business, and the Heartland Animal Shelter in Wheeling.
LaRocco Masi and Shah are hoping to launch the Petwrk app in the spring with what they’re learning from the beta testers on the Petwrk website at beta.petwrk.app, and with funding from a Kickstarter campaign that runs through Dec. 12.
LaRocco Masi said the community they’re hoping to build will be wide, as it’s not just for dog owners but also those with other types of animals, such as cats, horses and other critters.
