Leigh D’Angelo: Bringing Cat People and Dog People Together!
Leigh D’Angelo is the founder of two dating apps for pet lovers. She lives in New Orleans and launched both with her co-founder sister Casey Isaacson. They see the relationships people have with others around shared pet values as an exciting opportunity to build a large and engaged user base one connection at a time.
Leigh D’Angelo is the founder of two dating apps for pet lovers. She lives in New Orleans and launched both with her co-founder sister Casey Isaacson. They see the relationships people have with others around shared pet values as an exciting opportunity to build a large and engaged user base one connection at a time.
Describe the Pet Technology field and what you do.
Pet tech is an industry dedicated to wellness innovation for pet lovers and their pets through the use of technology. Dig – The Dog Person’s Dating App and Tabby – The Cat Person’s Dating App are the best ways for pet lovers to find a compatible match and plan pet-friendly dates.
Are Dig/Tabby dating apps, pet apps, or something between?
Tabby and Dig are the best way for pet-lovers to find a compatible match. They are 100% dating apps and are made for people to find love.
At the same time, making the humans happy and bringing them together is a major benefit to the pet in the house. You’ve got twice the attention to give for dog walks, vet visits, and cuddle time.
Pets make people more human. These are dating apps for people who care about their pet’s happiness as much as their own.
How diverse and inclusive is the Pet Tech Ecosystem?
The dating industry has an interesting perspective on diversity and inclusivity. On one hand, people who meet through traditional means are more likely to have less diverse social circles, and dating apps offer you the opportunity to meet people who you may have never crossed paths with otherwise.
Mainstream dating apps were also a leading force in offering many gender-identification options. On the other hand, it wasn’t until this year that many mainstream dating apps got rid of their “race” preference filters, and if a user does swipe left based on someone’s race, that person may show up less in other people’s feeds because of algorithms that often try to show the most desirable people.
Combining those questions with the world of pet people and pet tech is also interesting. Although we have not seen a major difference in cat people and dog people when it comes to race and gender identification on Dig and Tabby, we do see a major difference in the business and nonprofit or volunteer world.
We partnered with Sterling Davis “The Original Trap King” of Atlanta to launch Tabby in part because of his incredible work fighting stereotypes in cat rescue. “TrapKing’s mission is to change the stereotypes of not only men in cat rescue, but also bridge the gap in communication between black communities and animal rescue/local shelters.”
Where and by whom is the most promising work in the field being done?
Some of the greatest work right now is being done in sustainable pet-friendly living from innovations in rethinking at-home vet care, sustainable pet-friendly materials for items like dog beds and cat trees, and pet food and treat revolutions.
The number one thing I’m excited about, though, is the revolution in dog parks and dog bars/restaurants. The ability for dog-people to meet up at creative, dog-focused locations is incredible and extremely exciting.
What do you do to keep your batteries charged?
My German Shorthaired Pointer Penny keeps me on my toes with multiple long walks a day no matter the weather (including the high New Orleans humidity)! She makes sure we definitely stop and smell all the roses.