Looking for Love: Pet-Centric Dating Sites
Published on January 13, 2014
Have you ever dated someone who seemed to be a perfect match in every way — except that you couldn’t see eye-to-eye about your dog or cat? A mate who fails to love your pet can be the death of a relationship. After all, our pets are here to stay. (Unlike that boyfriend who is convinced that your cat is evil and hates him.)
So how do you find that perfect pooch-loving partner? Easy: on the Internet! Believe it or not, there are dating sites specifically for people who love their dogs — and their cats and horses too.
I’ve been trying to get back into dating, and recently, encouraged by my friends at Vetstreet, I took a chance with some online sites, specifically those geared toward pet lovers like myself. My Pugs are part of the family, and any man who wants to get serious about me also needs to be serious about my dogs. Here’s what I found.
The 411 on Pet-Centric Dating Sites
Most online dating sites allow users to set up a profile and browse for free, which makes it easy to see what’s out there; a site specifically geared toward pet owners is a good way to search for potential partners who understand your commitment to your furry companions. Unfortunately, many pet-centric dating sites share user content with other more general sites, so profiles are not always pet specific — which means you could still be matched up with someone who doesn’t feel the same way you do about your pets.
In addition, dating sites tend to have a larger number of female users, which can be a bonus if you’re a guy. If you’re a woman looking for a good man, however, your options may be pretty limited, even among other pet owners.
Finally, finding someone who loves pets — and is everything else you’re hoping for in a partner — is more complicated than just browsing a doggy dating website. But it’s not a bad place to start if you’re looking for love (and for someone who will love your dog too).
Online Dating for Pet People
Must Love Pets: Is “must love dogs” at the top of your list of requirements for a potential mate? Then Must Love Pets is the site for you. Most profiles include specifics about beloved dogs, and Must Love Pets’ clients are generally looking to date other canine aficionados. This site is the best option if you’re interested in a dog-owner-specific matchmaking service.
Love Me, Love My Pets: While not all profiles at Love Me, Love My Pets are pet-specific, the site offers a wide variety of potential dates to choose from. The site also offers a one-month-free upgrade, with access to more detailed features, such as the ability to email and chat with other members (most other sites require a fee to access those options). In terms of numbers of potential partners, Love Me, Love My Pets is your best bet among pet-centric dating sites.
Pet People Meet: This dating site tries to reach a broad spectrum of animal lovers, extending beyond dogs to include horses and cats. In an urban area, this site might provide some promising matches, but I live in rural Idaho and my options were pretty limited. In addition, many of the profiles lack pet-related content and are indistinguishable from those on other non-pet-specific dating sites.
Date My Pet: Dedicated to matching up pet lovers, Date My Pet has more advanced features than some of the other sites. The quality of the site is considerably better than most pet dating sites as well. However, if you’re under 40 and looking for someone close to your own age, this may not be the right site for you — most of the members fall into the over-40 category.
Waggerdating and Dog Dating Planet: Waggerdating and Dog Dating Planet would seem, from their names, to be good options for dog lovers — but that’s just not true. This is actually one online dating service with two names, and neither option is particularly focused on dog lovers. In fact, most profiles lacked any sort of detail at all about members’ pets.
Finally, some advice: No matter which online dating site you choose in your search for a mate, start by crafting a profile that highlights your love for your pet and makes clear how important your furry friend is in your life. Being up-front about what matters most to you raises the likelihood of finding The One, regardless of what site you use.
