Advice hasn’t kept up
Owners now need help with office manners, apartment living and anxiety management in a noisy city, not suburban house manners.
the pack
The members’ club for dogs and their people.
Connecting dogs and their owners with expert classes, local walks and each other, all close to home.
The problem
A new generation of urban dog owners isn’t being served.
Millennials and Gen Z in cities want their dog to fit into their lives, with support that traditional pet brands weren’t built to give. There is no market leader in pet brands for this generation.
57%of 25 to 34s find owning a dog hard work.Dogs Trust, National Dog Survey 2024
23%rise in reports of abandoned animals to the RSPCA in a year.RSPCA, January to October 2025 against 2024
75%of vet professionals seeing more behaviour problems name lack of socialisation as a key cause. 64% name training.PDSA PAW Report 2023
Every new dog is a gamble
Is that dog safe? Will it play too rough, or unsettle mine? Owners can’t tell by looking, so many steer clear.
Saying hello is awkward
Does the owner want to talk, and would we get on? Most owners aren’t comfortable finding out, so friendships that could happen never start.
There’s nobody to call
When plans change, too few owners have someone nearby they’d trust with their dog.
“There’s so much information out there and so many conflicting points of view… It’s really hard to know what’s right and wrong.”
“…new pet owners struggle to approach people they see in the park. An app can help break the ice.”
“Brands like Pedigree or Purina, they feel really old school. Those big brands don’t feel relevant.”
The solution
One club that gets dog owners learning, meeting and helping each other.
1. Learn from experts
Credible, relevant classes, in person at a local spot or streamed live in the app. They’re also a way to meet people beyond the dog park.
2. Meet the right people
At classes and in the park, the app shows members who’s around, whose dog suits theirs and who’s open to a hello.
3. Build a trusted pack
Members keep the people they click with in their local pack, with tools to get together for walks, and to give and get cover and a helping hand.
Why members keep coming back
When someone needs a hand, The Pack reaches whoever is available, nearby and compatible with their dog, and gives the helper the dog’s habits, quirks and history. And members earn standing in their local pack by turning up and looking out for each other. Those it recognises become local champions, with exclusive access to premium experiences and the chance to host their own.
What dog owners and experts told us
“I still have friends to this day that I met those mornings.”
“I joined a local group because we all had the same issues with our dogs.”
“[The classes are] like Peloton for pets.”
Why me
Inspired by Sailor, and built by someone who’s done this before.
Getting my first dog, Sailor, while working in a city office forced me to rethink my entire routine. Office manners, walking amongst London traffic unfazed by the hissing of buses, and how to behave when I took him out with the team for pizza: there was no credible, accessible advice on any of it. I had to figure it out by myself.
Finding owners like me, with well-behaved dogs that played nicely with Sailor, was just as hard, but through many, many introductions, I made some fantastic friends. It took me years to work out how to live my best life with Sailor, instead of around him. The Pack is how everyone else gets there sooner.
Ross Fretten, co-founder and former Chief Product Officer of Waggel pet insurance. Also worked on Kibble, a training and wellness platform for the urban dog lifestyle, and spent five years at Ogilvy, with work for brands including Purina and Bakers.
Where we are
People love the idea. Now we’re going to find out if they’ll turn up.
- Done
Tested the idea with prospective users. The response has been strong, but that’s interest, not proof.
- Next
Host a local class. Measure who turns up, who creates a profile for themselves and their dog, who comes back, and whether they make friends.
- Then
With good numbers, fund more events and app features, and test whether people connect beyond the events, out in the park.
We’re talking to early backers now.
If this sounds interesting, I’d love to tell you more and share the deck.