Finding quality pet care that’s convenient and affordable can be a struggle for busy city dwellers, but Bed and Biscuits wants to help.
Last summer, the D.C.- and Boston-based startup launched its Airbnb-style website that pairs pet owners with sitters based on proximity and services.
Co-founder Colin Moncton and twin brother Ryan came up with the idea based on a mutual interest in a shared economy and a passion for pets. They bootstrapped the businesses using their own funds, and Ryan launched the product in Boston while Colin focused on building up Bed and Biscuits in D.C.
“We grew up with dogs and every time our parents would go on vacation, we’d drive to the kennel to drop off our dog and it was the saddest experience,” Colin Moncton said. “It’s stressful for dogs.”
Moncton also noticed the stress friends would face when needing to travel for work, not knowing what to do with their pets. And with more instances of both spouses working, he saw an increase in pet care demands.
The website lists four services: house sitting, overnight stays, dog walking and daycare. Sitters charge an average of $40 a night for dog boarding, much lower than what kennels would cost.
“To find proper care for your dog in D.C. can be really expensive,” Moncton said. “Kennels can go up to $100 a night. And on top of that, Bed and Biscuits gives your dog individual care instead of being in a cage with 100 other dogs.”
More than 750 sitters are signed up nationwide, thanks in part to a focus on social media outreach.
“Having an interest for the dog’s wellbeing as well as saving the dog owners some money is what grew our user base and gave us inspiration to keep on going to build Bed and Biscuits,” Moncton said. He hopes to start raising capital in the next year or two, but for now is focusing on growing the user base and seeing more consistent transactions.
Moncton said Bed and Biscuits has some differences to apps like Rover, including no fees for customers on top of the sitter's rate. And pet sitters keep 85 percent of their earnings, compared to Rover's 70-80 percent.
He likens the website to Airbnb, where the closest sitters appear first when you search by address, and customers are able to contact potential sitters directly. Background checks are conducted on each sitter to ensure safety, and sitters can set their own rates and availability.
Moncton said it's a suitable side gig for dog lovers in D.C. who could use some extra cash.
“It’s a win-win for the sitters and the customers,” he said. “Pet ownership is growing by 4 to 5 percent every year. People treat their pets like kids these days, so they want them to have good care.”
