5 Best Pet Care Apps [2022 Review]

Pets lovers will agree that pets are more like family and are an important part of our lives. Through their unconditional love, pets have a special place in our hearts. Research has shown that owning pets has several benefits. They increase the well being of their owners and reduce loneliness, depression and anxiety. Pets increase the feelings of inter-connection and happiness and social connection. Furthermore, taking care of pets, makes people responsible and increases the trust other people have in them. To keep our furry friends happy, there are dog walking and training apps to get trusted, convenient pet care near you. Let’s dive into some of the best pet care apps and their features.

What are the best pet care apps of 2020?

There are a number of apps that help in ensuring that our beloved pets are well cared for. Here are my top picks for the best pet care apps.

1. Wag!

Wag!, also known as the Uber for dogs, is a great mobile app that can help you find carers for your dog on-demand. Wag! does extensive backgrounds checks on their pet caregivers and insures their services as well, giving owners the peace of mind while your dog is on a walk with a pet caregiver or while your pet caregiver is pet sitting your dog at your home.

Additionally, Wag! partners with GreatGood’s RescueBank to donate a portion of the proceeds from each walk to feed shelter dogs in your area.

Key Features:

• Walk: You can choose between a 30-min walk or a longer 1 hour stroll for your dog, which can be scheduled on-demand or pre-scheduled. You can get GPS tracking, video and text messages during the walk.
• Weekly Walk: This helps you schedule walks on a regular basis at the days and times that work for you.
• Drop-ins: If you just want to find some company for your dog, you can use this service to have a pet caregiver to stop by. This feature allows you to leave instructions for the caregiver and get real time information about how your pet is doing.
• Boarding: If you have to leave town for a night or several, fear not, Wag! offers boarding for dogs. You can schedule the date and time that your pet needs boarding and get pictures and videos of your dog having meals, playing and taking medication in the care of your pet caregiver.
• Sitting: Wag! also offers pet sitting services, where a pet caregiver can pet sit during the day or overnight.
• Training: Additionally, Wag! offers one-on-one training with experienced dog trainers for dogs of all ages.

Pricing: A walk for a dog costs $20 for 30 minutes. If you have multiple dogs, the walk for an additional dog will cost you $5 extra.

Platforms: Wag! is available for the iPhone and Android devices.

2. Rover

Rover, also known as the DogBnB, is a popular app for pet care for both cats and dogs, that connects pet sitters with pet owners. All pet sitters pass a basic background check, and Rover collects detailed profile and personal information and Rover services are backed by the Rover guarantee, which covers insurance.

Key Features:

• Dog Walking: You can schedule one time or regular walks for your dog on certain days of the week.
• Doggy Day Care: You can find day care for your dogs on a one time or on a regular weekly basis.
• Boarding: Through this service you can find boarding for your cat or dog.
• House Sitting: You can find a pet sitter to watch over your dog or can through this service.
• Drop-In Visits: You can schedule one time drop-in visits for your dog or cat or schedule regularly for certain days of the week.

Pricing: The pet caregivers on Rover set their own rates. If you enter a zip code for the service in your area, you can get an idea of the price pet caregivers charge for the various services. Prices start at $15 for a 30 minute walk.

Platforms: Rover is available for the iPhone and Android devices.

3. Puppr

Puppr is a dog training app that was founded by Michael and Alice, husband and wife, who partnered with celebrity dog trainer Sara Carson. Sara Carson is also the top 5 finalist in America’s Got Talent. Sara and The Super Collies travel around North America teaching dog trick workshops.

The user interface of Puppr is easy to use, and the layout of the app is intuitive and simple to navigate.

Key Features:

• Easy to follow lessons: Puppr has lessons that come with instructions photos and videos.
• Tricks: The app has 50+ tricks ranging from basic to advanced tricks. The tricks are organized into trick categories. You can also track your dog’s progress by logging it when the trick is completed and earn badges.
• Daily Training Reminders: The apps also allows you to set daily reminders.
• Help on Demand: Using live chat you can chat with Sara and get all your questions answered.
• Built-in Clicker: Clickers are used in dog training to indicate the exact moment you want your dog to do something. It is a form of positive reinforcement where you reward your dog for doing a trick. Puppr comes with a built-in clicker.

Pricing: The basic lessons on Puppr are free. One or two lessons in the advanced categories are free after which you can purchase the lessons through in app purchases. You can purchase lessons in a single or several categories, depending on how you want to train your dog. Puppr also has premium subscriptions which are priced at $16.99 per month or $99.99 per year, after a free 7-day trial.

Platforms: Puppr is available for the iPhone and Android devices.

4. Pet First Aid

Pet First Aid is a handy app built by the American Red Cross for emergency first aid instructions for your pet. Although this app cannot be used in place of veterinary care, this app will come in useful when you need to take care of your pet in an emergency and you’re not able to get to the vet because of time or distance constraints.

Key Features:

• Toggle between content: There are separate instructions for dogs and cats and there is a convenient way to toggle between both.
• Multiple Profiles: You can set up multiple profiles for multiple pets and set up separate veterinary appointments and veterinary contact numbers.
• Detailed Instructions: This app provides you step by step instructions on first aid scenarios through video, images and text. It has information on how to deal with over 25 pet emergencies and disaster situations as well as advice on pet medication, behavioral help and saying goodbye to your pet.
• Early warning sign checker: This feature helps to prevent your pet from falling ill by checking for warnings and taking action.
• Interactive quizzes: This feature allows you to participate in quizzes and earn badges that you can share socially.
• Location: This app allows you to find emergency vet services and pet friendly hotels.

Pricing: This app is completely free for download and use.

Platforms: Pet First Aid is available for the iPhone and Android devices.

5. BarkHappy

BarkHappy is an app that helps you connect with near by dog owners and find a community and friends for your dog.

Key Features:

• Find dog friendly places on the map: Using this feature you can find dog friendly restaurants, hotels, stores, parks, etc. You can also add a place to the map, if it hasn’t been added.
• Discover dogs nearby: This feature helps you find new friends and a community for your furry friend.
• Lost and found alerts: If your dog goes missing, you can use this feature to alert the community with your dog’s picture a
• Attend dog friendly events and host your own: This feature allows you to create or attend play dates for your dog and attend other dog friendly events.
• Exclusive offers: There are special deals that are available for BarkHappy users.

Pricing: Although the app is available to download for free, it comes with in-app purchases.

Platforms: BarkHappy is available on iPhone and on Android.