Global trends in a nutshell

Dog sharing is the new hot trend

Yes, 2017 is the year of the rooster, but in the sharing economy it’s also the year of the dog. Dog sharing, of course, is as much an inaccurate term as ride sharing and home sharing. These dogs are not being passed around for free. But there’s been lots of activity among startups that offer dog walking, dog watching, and other dog-related services. Dog-sitting platform Rover acquired dog-boarding company DogVacay in an all-stock deal at an undisclosed price. Wag, the self-declared “#1 Dog Walking and Dog Sitting App for Busy Dog Owners”, has reportedly raised $19 million (€17 million) from two rounds of funding over the last two years. There’s also Fetch, DogHero, BorrowMyDoggy, HouseMyDog, BabelBark, Baubnb, and HappyTail. In 2016, the pet care market was estimated at $103.6 billion (€95.3 billion) globally, and $44.7 billion (€41.1 billion) in the U.S. alone, according to market research firm Euromonitor. Some, like Rover, are looking beyond canines. “We’re going to be taking a close look at anything that can help people become amazing pet owners despite the challenges of modern life,” Rover CEO Aaron Easterly told TechCrunch.