When Tommi Nordstrom and Rafaela Salzer got their Groodle Lumi, they were shocked to realise how difficult it was to take him anywhere with them.
Tommy says: “My partner and I are both originally from Europe where dogs can go everywhere. You can buy an annual bus ticket for your dog, and they’re allowed to go to pubs and coffee shops and whatever… And when we got him, we were struggling to find where we could actually go with him.”
So, Tommi and Rafaela started a blog, documenting all the dog friendly places you could go, which quickly became incredibly popular amongst the dog owning community, with many dog owners requesting for particular areas to be covered.
Soon, their blog grew into Pupsy, the one and only stop for dog owners to help them organise a coffee, night out, or even a holiday that they can bring their furry best friend along to.
On Pupsy, users can leave their own recommendations and reviews of places. Businesses are also able to create basic listings of themselves for free. Pupsy also provides users with the ability to book experiences through the website itself.
Tommi says: “We don’t say what has to be there, but we do say that it has to be clear. Dogs need to be allowed inside, that’s the only thing that we mandate. But then all the rest is asking if bedding, water bowls, treats, fencing, covered areas, those kind of things are available.”
The business has also been working on several dog friendly suburb guides, only recently releasing their first covering the suburb of Paddington.
For Tommi and Rafaela, at the end of the day, it’s about the dogs. “Gone are the days that these were just working animals. Now they play a very different role in our life, in our social life… What’s not to love?” says Tommi.
This love of dogs is reflected in the ability for any business to list themselves for free, and that the reviews left by Pupsy users are written entirely from the perspective of the dog.
You can find Pupsy online here.
