‘Tinder for dogs’: New app lets animal lovers ‘swipe right’ to match with lonely shelter pups

Given up on dating apps to find a human partner? Well, a group of Lithuanian animal lovers might have the next best thing for you: GetPet, a Tinder-inspired app for matching shelter dogs to potential new owners.

The concept is basically the same as a normal dating app: users flick through the available dogs and swipe right on the ones they are interested in.  The goal is to arrange a meet-up between the human and their potential four-legged companion.

“It’s like Tinder, but with dogs," Vaidas Gecevicius, one of the app's creators, told AP.

Just like on Tinder, the first thing the user sees is the dog's picture, but they can scroll down to reveal more detailed information about the furry creature. In this case, of course, the matching process is slightly more one-sided, since the dogs don’t get to swipe right on their preferred owners, but it’s probably safe to say they won’t mind.

In an added bonus for the humans, the dogs are also unlikely to reply with creepy messages and unsolicited NSFW photographs, so it’s a win-win.

Gecevicius told the AP the idea was hatched during a computer workshop when the creators looked out the window and noticed a stray dog wandering alone down the street.

Ilona Reklaityte, the founder of the SOS Gyvunai shelter in Vilnius, said the app was an innovative approach to a serious problem. Reklaityte’s shelter currently has 140 dogs and the rate of adoptions can’t keep up with the amount of dogs constantly being taken in.

“I really welcome this new app as it gives us more chances to find our pets new owners and a new home, and that means we can then help other dogs still on the streets,” she said.

The app was launched in January and can already boast some successful humane-canine connections. For now, the app only caters to dog lovers, but the goal is to eventually feature cats and other animals, too.

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