Jumba is our Yorkie, born March 11, 2011, and the reason Pawppy exists. We are two best friends who built this app because of him. He loves both of us equally. He definitely has a favorite, but I'm in denial.
The first Pawppy dog
Jumba
Yorkie. Fifteen years old and still kicking. His body is a little older now, and some things are harder, but he is still killing it. Cranky about his hind legs, obsessed with chicken, into sunbathing, always chasing squirrels, and still ready to fight every dog he sees.
We, the two best friends who are not important here, used to live in Brooklyn, New York. One day we saw a dog coming, so we picked Jumba up like we always did. He goes absolutely psychotic when he sees another dog, barking so hard he makes himself cough just trying to get to them.
This time the other dog was a pit bull, and his owner thought we were picking Jumba up because we were scared. He said, "You know pit bulls can be friendly, right?" We had to tell him, "No, we're protecting you."
For the next dog whose story helps shape Pawppy.
The art
All Pawppy art was created by Adara Lui.
Why Pawppy exists
When Jumba was younger, dog classes were expensive and felt out of reach. Meeting other dogs mostly meant crossing our fingers on walks and hoping the other person understood.
Now that he is older, we keep wishing there had been an easier way to find patient people and dogs who could start slow.
Pawppy is for Jumba while he is still here, and for dogs like him: barky, nervous, selective, shy, late to friendship, or hard to explain in a few seconds on the sidewalk.
What Pawppy can promise
We can build tools for sharing context, going slowly, choosing meetup preferences, reporting concerns, and blocking people when needed. We can listen, improve, and be reachable.
Pawppy does not guarantee compatibility, safety, training outcomes, or that every dog hello will go beautifully. Dogs are dogs. People are people. Owners stay responsible for reading their dogs, choosing appropriate settings, and ending interactions when needed.
Who Pawppy is for
- Dogs who need distance before closeness
- Dogs who bark first and relax later
- Dogs who missed their easy window for making friends
- People who wish they had more ways to help their dog belong