New app tracks Canadian dog parks

File image of downtown Winnipeg dog park

The days of taking your dog out for a walk in the park and them missing their fuzzy best friend by 30 minutes could soon be a thing of the past.

A new app is helping dog owners and their four-legged companions make the most out of their daily excursions by providing detailed maps of area dog parks and those who use them.

“I used to hate arriving at the dog park just to see there is nobody there,” said Dov Punski, co-founder of the Dog Pack app. “Or sometimes there could be a dog that my dog doesn’t get along with, and so we decide not to go in just on that factor which could be pretty frustrating.”

The app features maps of dog parks and dog-friendly areas all across the country and in places as far away as Australia. Users virtually check-in when they arrive at the park using their pet’s profile allowing other dog walkers to know who is there.

Each dog’s profile is public and includes information like age, breed, weight, gender, and whether or not they have been spayed or neutered.

“This way, another user can get an idea if their dog will get along with the dog that’s been checked in based on some of those factors,” said Punski.

App users can get rewards in the form of ‘Treats’ based on time spent in dog parks and the number of times a user checks into the app.

Those ‘Treats’ act as in-app currency and can be redeemed for prizes, discount codes, and even raffle tickets for all kinds of dog companies.

The app also supports user feedback, allowing dog walkers to provide additional location details.