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§ Private Profile · Santa Monica, CA, USA
Online marketplace connecting pet owners with independent dog sitters for boarding, sitting, and pet care services in the US and Canada.
DogVacay has raised $47.0M across 4 funding rounds.
Key people at DogVacay.
DogVacay has raised $47.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Based in Santa Monica, California, DogVacay operated an online marketplace connecting pet owners with independent dog sitters and hosts for boarding and care services. The platform provided an alternative to traditional kennels through a mobile application, generating revenue by taking a 20% commission from sitter fees alongside a 7% service fee from pet owners. Prior to its acquisition, the company scaled its operations to include 75 employees and a network of over 15,000 hosts across the US and Canada, ultimately reaching $100 million in revenue. The enterprise received financial backing from notable venture capital firms including Baroda Ventures, First Round, and GSV Capital. In 2017, the business was acquired by competitor Rover.com, merging their platforms to create a combined network of over 100,000 caregivers across 10,000 cities. DogVacay was founded in 2012 by Aaron Hirschhorn and Karine Nissim.
DogVacay has raised $47.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $25.0M Series B in November 2014.
Key people at DogVacay.
DogVacay has raised $47.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
DogVacay's investors include B Capital Group, Benchmark, Bowery Capital, Bullpen Capital, Eclipse Ventures, First Round Capital, Foundation Capital, Founders Fund, High Line Venture Partners, Insight Partners, IVP, Left Lane Capital.
DogVacay was a technology platform that operated as a peer-to-peer marketplace for pet-sitting services, primarily connecting dog owners with vetted caregivers offering boarding, sitting, and walking in home-like environments as an alternative to traditional kennels.[1][3][4] It served pet owners needing reliable care during travel or absences, solving the problem of stressful, impersonal pet care by providing personalized, community-driven options; the company raised $47M from investors like Benchmark and First Round Capital before achieving strong growth with over $150M in combined bookings by 2016 (with competitor Rover).[1][3] Acquired by Rover in March 2017 in an all-stock deal, DogVacay's network expanded Rover's reach to over 100,000 sitters across the US and Canada, marking the end of its independent operations.[1][3]
DogVacay was founded in March 2012 by husband-and-wife team Aaron Hirschhorn and Karine Nissim in Santa Monica, California, evolving from a small dog-boarding business incubated by Science Inc.[2][3] The idea emerged from recognizing the demand for home-based pet care over kennels, quickly gaining traction with $47M in funding from prominent VCs including Benchmark, Andreessen Horowitz, Foundation Capital, and First Round Capital.[1][3] A pivotal moment came in 2017 when Rover acquired it just six months after DogVacay's $40M raise aimed at profitability and potential IPO, combining teams and accelerating scale.[3]
DogVacay rode the early 2010s sharing economy wave, akin to Airbnb for pets, capitalizing on rising pet humanization trends and the $15B US pet care market where owners sought flexible, on-demand services.[3][4] Timing was ideal post-2008 recession, as gig platforms proliferated and smartphone adoption enabled location-based matching; market forces like urban pet ownership growth and travel recovery favored it.[1][3] It influenced the ecosystem by proving peer-to-peer viability in pet services, paving the way for consolidation (e.g., Rover dominance) and inspiring competitors like Wag! and Mad Paws.[1]
Post-acquisition, DogVacay's brand and operations integrated into Rover, enhancing its scale for international expansion and profitability pushes, with Hirschhorn joining Rover's board.[3] Looking ahead, legacy elements fuel Rover's evolution amid trends like AI-driven matching, subscription pet wellness, and pet-tech hardware (e.g., trackers), potentially amplifying influence in a maturing $100B+ global market. This merger exemplified how marketplace pioneers shape enduring platforms, tying back to DogVacay's roots in accessible, loving pet care.[1][3]
