London, 17th July: Rover.com, the world’s largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers, today announces its UK launch. The network, which brings together dog people by connecting dog owners with trusted sitters and walkers in their neighbourhood, is making it easier than ever for Brits to find the best care for their best friend.
Already hugely popular in the US, with millions of services booked, Rover has set its sights on expanding into Europe, starting with the UK, where dog owners spend almost £11bn on their pets annually*. In addition, there are more than 80 million pet-owning households in Europe, and with more than 75 percent of the population living in urban areas, the market is primed for Rover’s introduction.
To sign up, prospective sitters and walkers are taken through Rover’s robust onboarding process before being added to the platform—Rover approves less than 20% of potential sitters. All sitter profiles are hand-reviewed by Rover sitter quality specialists, and all new sitters must pass an identity verification check. Once successfully signed up, sitters and walkers can set their own price and availability.
Today, to celebrate the launch, Rover is hosting the UK’s first dog swimming gala at West Reservoir Centre in Hackney, London. Dog owners can bring their pups to cool down, perfect their doggy paddle and participate in a 10m swimming race—all under the supervision of a professional canine aqua aerobics specialist. What’s more, Rover’s dog experts are on hand to provide advice on how to keep dogs safe and happy in the hot weather this summer.
Christopher Cederskog, European General Manager at Rover.com, says: “We know that Brits absolutely love their dogs, in fact 90 percent consider them part of the family. The number of dog people here makes the UK the perfect place to begin our European expansion—and to celebrate, we wanted to do something that hasn’t been done before in the UK.”
“By hosting the UK’s first dog swimming gala, we hope dogs will cool down, have fun and perfect their doggy paddle—whilst owners can learn about how to keep their pet safe in the heat this summer.”
Along with Rover’s pet sitting, dog walking and drop-in services, the platform also offers pet parents peace of mind with its unique Rover Card feature. Pet parents receive an update when a walk starts and stops, as well as a detailed report that provides a GPS map of the walk, photos and notes on bathroom breaks.
Megan Teepe, Vice President of International at Rover.com, says: “We’ve experienced tremendous growth in the US since we started in 2011, and we’re excited that the next phase of our development will be in Europe. Given how important dogs are to British people, bringing Rover’s mission and services to the UK feels like a natural progression. We can’t wait to help UK pet parents find the perfect dog sitter or walker to make it easier to have dog love in their lives.”
For more information or to sign up either as a walker, sitter or owner, please visit: https://www.rover.com/uk/
https://www.facebook.com/RoverDotComUK
For more information, please contact:
Rover@hopeandglorypr.com / 020 3588 9700
Notes to editors
*Research by American Express. Please see here
**Research by Ancestry.co.uk. Please see here
About Rover.com
Founded in 2011 and based in Seattle, Rover.com® is the world’s largest and most trusted network of five-star pet sitters and dog walkers. Rover connects dog owners with pet care whenever they need it. Millions of services have been booked on Rover, including pet sitting, dog walking, in-home dog boarding, and doggy day care.
As The Dog People™, Rover makes it easier for people to have dog love in their lives through the Rover Guarantee, 24/7 support, background checks, vet consultations, and GPS walk tracking. And by sharing expertise on TheDogPeople.com – one of the world’s top dog blogs – Rover provides tips and articles that delight, inform, and enhance the bond between people and their pets.