by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 5:05 PM ET, Thu December 21, 2017
Traveling with your pet? There's a site for that.
WoofAdvisor, is the fledgling TripAdvisor for those who want to travel with Fido, Rover, or Snoopy.
The New York City start-up, founded by Irish entrepreneur Gerry Molloy, is designed to make it easier for pet lovers to plan, and enjoy traveling with their furry, four-legged friends.
"First and foremost, we help pet lovers find and book verified pet-friendly accommodations," Molloy said in an email.
The inspiration for Molloy's new platform can be traced back to a conversation that took place at an Irish pub.
Molloy and two of his siblings, along with their well-traveled pooches, were all gathered for a pint. Before long, the discussion turned to the less than pleasing rooms the two siblings were typically offered when checking into a hotel with their respective dogs.
"They both felt they got a bum room at their hotel precisely because they were traveling with a dog," Molloy explained.
Both siblings also expressed frustration about the fact that there was no single source on the travel landscape offering reliable, trustworthy hotel information and reviews for pet lovers. Molloy then set out to do a little research of his own. What he found was that many properties described on websites, directories, and online booking engines as "dog-friendly," often were not open to accommodating canines.
"Many listings are just wrong. They do not allow dogs," Molloy said. "Sometimes, as many as 20 percent to 30 percent were incorrectly described as pet-friendly."
Of the initial 4,000 properties Molloy sought to verify, 600 did not allow dogs.
"Given how important this is for pet lovers and the size of this growing and evolving market, WoofAdvisor came into being," said Molloy.
WoofAdvisor aims to provide verified pet-friendly listings, meaning Molloy or someone on his staff has personally contacted the property and confirmed the hotel actually permits dogs. WoofAdvisor has also gone to the trouble of tracking down any additional fees the property may charge for bringing a pet, as well as any other relevant pet policy information the animal's owner may want to be aware of.
To date, the site has launched in Ireland, the UK and New York City. During the first quarter of 2018, it will expand to a host of additional American cities including Boston, Seattle, Chicago and Portland.
"There are lots of options listing dog-friendly places to stay when you start looking," Molloy said. "Many of them are household names. And there are almost a similar number of listings that are just plain wrong - places that do not actually allow dogs at all and will turn you away if you arrive with your buddy."
Thankfully, WoofAdvisor has arrived to make sure that never happens to you.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
