Charlotte-based app helps couples or roommates match on a rescue pet
Need some company while you’re stuck at home because of the coronavirus? Thanks to Charlotte resident Franco Valdes, your next pet is just a swipe away. Valdes has created a way to find a furry family member while you Netfilx and chill. His new app, Petly, lets couples, families, roommates or friends find adoptable cats and dogs they can all agree on — even during COVID-19 conditions.
Launched at the end of 2019, Petly provides access to more than 30,000 animals in 14,000 shelters across the U.S. Users can then swipe right (yes) or left (no) until they agree upon the perfect match. From there, they are connected directly to the shelter to begin the screening process and Petly steps out of the process.
“I love creating things; the planning, execution and final product are what drive me to continue building apps,” said Valdes, who has 10 years of app building experience and is also a lead at digital agency Union. “I have high hopes for Petly and aim to help as many animals as I can find their forever homes.”
As dog lovers who regularly foster shelter pups, Valdes and his wife are the proud owners of two rescues of their own, Homer and Tripp. According to an article by Union, the former professional baseball player wanted to connect families with pets and was inspired to start this passion project by the baby naming app Kinder. Kinder allows couples to swipe left or right on baby names until they find a match.
The ability to match on a pet with a partner, roommate, spouse or child is what sets Petly apart from other pet finding apps. So far, Petly has more than 25,000 animal swipes, and Valdes is hopeful that this number will continue to grow. The app is available for free on all Android and iOS devices.
For some really adorable photos of puppies and cats in need of a forever home, download the Petly app and check out @petlyapp on Instagram. Valdes is hoping that locals who are able to find a furry friend will tag @petlyapp and share their joy with the Petly community.
