The U.S. has about 3,000 domestic violence shelters, and less than 5% of them have onsite accommodations for pets.
“It’s not uncommon for someone to say, ‘I’m not going to leave (the abusive relationship) if I can’t bring my pet,’” Hope House CEO MaryAnne Metheny told the Kansas City Business Journal. “Domestic violence is about power and control. … Pets are often used as part of that control, so it’s not uncommon for pets to be abused or killed in a situation with domestic violence, especially when someone’s trying to leave.”
It can turn into a life-or-death situation, not just for the pet, but also for the person who stays in the abusive relationship, she said.
Lee’s Summit-based BestyBnB, however, wants to remove that barrier to seeking help through its mobile and web-based app that connects domestic violence shelters to vetted and trained pet caregivers, who can temporarily foster the animals. BestyBnB’s initial launch targets the Kansas City market, and it now has seven area shelters on board, including Hope House, Rose Brooks Center, Synergy Services and Newhouse.
“It’s extremely humbling and equally inspiring to be working with these folks. They really have embraced the mission of BestyBnB, and they’ve given us unflappable support,” BestyBnB co-founder and former Polsinelli PC attorney Andy Bond told KCBJ.
BestyBnB pitched during the 2019 Pure Pitch Rally and recently secured a $2 million investment from local businesswoman Sally Root.
Radio segment plants seed for BestyBnB
A KCUR news segment sparked the idea for BestyBnB, when co-founders Bond and Matt Krentz were on the hunt for their next business idea after selling their previous tech startup. Local domestic violence shelter Safehome outlined their biggest barriers, and one was not having a place for pets to stay.
“When they find out they can’t bring their pet, 50% of the time or more, they hang up the phone and don’t come and seek services, because they don’t want to leave their pet behind,” Bond recalled from the segment. “Matt said, ‘I think we can solve this by coming at it from a technology standpoint instead of a brick-and-mortar.’”
They contacted Safehome with their idea and received the affirmation they needed, Bond said. Safehome now is a customer.
“We knew we had the responsibility to get this right. It wasn’t a side thing,” he said. “This was either going to be 100% of our time or zero.”
The two met with other shelters in California and Illinois, which only cemented the need for BestyBnB.
Connecting with vetted pet caregivers
The startup used feedback from the shelters to build their technology, which includes pet caregiver profiles and training videos created in collaboration with animal experts from the rescue industry. In addition to a background check, caregivers are required to watch the training videos, which cover aspects such as confidentiality, best practices and what to expect when introducing an animal into a new environment, particularly one who may have experienced trauma or abuse.
BestyBnB vets the caregivers, and shelters can easily view the profiles and choose the best fit for a temporary home.
“It’s an opportunity for people to get involved in a new way,” Metheny said. “People are always asking how they can help, and this is a way they can help pets and humans at the same. … I’m grateful for the innovation and their perseverance in being able to come up with solutions to a problem that really could be a life-changing event for people.”
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, BestyBnB is making its service free for now, but in the future its revenue will come from a subscription fee charged to the shelters and a small tech fee when an animal is placed. The startup is building up its caregiver base, and in the future, becoming a caregiver could become a source of income for vetted individuals after they leave a shelter.
Once BestyBnB tests the Kansas City market, it plans to expand its offering to other communities.
“We want this to be in the hands of every agency in the country,” Bond said.
