New dating sites are matching up single dog lovers with their perfect match: other single dog lovers!
New dating websites like PetsDating.com, YouMustLoveDogsDating.com and DateMyPet.com are connecting animal-loving singles, according to The Associated Press.
In the words of Karen North, a profesor of social media at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Journalism: "This comes at a time when many dating sites cater to religious, cultural and political references but ignore other major factors like pets, music and travel."
"If you find somebody with the same lifestyle passion, you don't have to start out at square one," North said.
And with a Match.com study that found more than 40 million U.S. singles looking for love online, it's no wonder there's a market for pet lovers.
"Having a theme that is ... about one's passion makes it feel like you are looking for a needle in a smaller and far more relevant and appealing haystack," said Michal Ann Strahilevitz, a marketing professor at San Francisco's Golden Gate University.
Many sites even encourage users to bring their dogs on first dates, according to AP. But why would someone come up with such an idea for a dating site?
"Dogs on first dates are amazing icebreakers," said Kris Rotonda, founder of YouMustLoveDogsDating.com, who has 2 million members. "You find out right off the bat how everyone in a relationship will fit in," Rotonda said, who started the site last year.
Likewise, DateMyPet.com founder Robert Yau found how important pets can be to some people.
"...it surprised me how many of their [prior] dates and relationships ended because the other person [didn't share] their love for pets. When the decision came to choose between the partner or the pet, it was a no-brainer for the majority. The pet won," Yau told the Huffington Post.
Perhaps these new dating sites are on to something since more than 83 million people owned dogs in 2012, with the number of cat owners reaching almost 96 million, according to the Human Society.
But not all agree basing your interest in a person should revolve around their feelings towards animals.
"When you consider how challenging it already is to find someone who offers what you are seeking in a romantic partner ... who seeks what you are offering ... where there is also mutual chemistry and the time is right ... you have to wonder who in their right mind would want to make it even more challenging by insisting on canine chemistry," said Trish McDermott, Match.com's former spokeswoman and dating expert for 10 years.
Still, the numbers don't lie. A Purina Pet survey found that dog lovers are serious about their dogs. According to the study, 61 percent of women tell their dogs their problems, 31 percent of women think their dog is a better listener than their partner, 14 percent of men thnk their dog shows them more affection than their partner and 24 percent of men used their dog to pick up love interests.
"That's the power of our pets," Yau said. "They provide a common link, an understanding of who we are."
