The Dodo Establishes Pet Adoption Matchmaking Platform For Valentine’s Day

The Dodo has enacted a clever ploy to drive pet adoptions this Valentine’s Day.

The animal-centric publisher, owned by media conglomerate Group Nine Media — which went public last month — has created a pet adoption matchmaking tool called Pick Of The Litter.

The geo-specific service was constructed in-house and will serve as an extension of The Dodo’s owned-and-operated website, the company said, seeking to pair adopters with their perfect cat or dog companions to shelter in place with — including both temporary fosters and permanent adoptions. Users don’t need to register but simply enter their zip codes to swipe through nearby prospective pets in an experience that mimics a dating app. Profiles contain photos, descriptions, and contact info. Interested adopters can also send send inquiries to local rescue organizations via Pick Of The Litter directly.

The Dodo notes — citing CDC data — that pets are proven to positively affect their owners’ mental and physical health in stressful situations, like, say, a global pandemic.

“With the success we’ve seen to date of our original programming Adoption Day and Foster Diaries, we know that our audience is deeply interested and invested in animal adoption,” Dodo marketing director Sarah Butler said in a statement. “Leaning into this audience passion point, we built our new tool to provide real utility to our community of animal lovers.”

Foster Diaries, which launched at the outset of the pandemic in March, showcases the myriad ways in which foster pets have brought their humans happiness during trying times. To date, both adoption-focused series have clocked over 1.1 billion views on YouTube and Facebook, The Dodo said.

You can check out the most recent episode of Foster Diaries below, and check out The Dodo’s new animal matchmaking service right here.