Spot Dog Walking

John Minchin, from Calgary, AB, sought $400,000 for 18% of Spot Dog Walking, an on-demand dog walking app offering GPS-tracked, insured, background-checked walkers with a guarantee of walker arrival within 90 minutes or the walk is free. The company charges $16 for 15 minutes, $21 for 30 minutes, and $28 for an hour, with an average walk price of $19.87 and average walker pay of $13.91, yielding 25% margins. In the 12 months before COVID, the company completed over 30,000 walks and generated $1.162 million in total revenue to date, but revenue dropped 82% immediately after COVID began and remained down 62% at the time of the pitch, with the company burning $7,000 a month and $75,000 in the bank, run as a one-person operation.

Vincenzo Guzzo went out, comparing the model to unprofitable competitors Wag and Rover. Arlene Dickinson, Lane Merrifield, and Manjit Minhas also declined, citing uncertainty about post-COVID recovery and the business being in maintenance mode rather than growth. Michele Romanow offered the full $400,000 but for 25% equity, citing confidence in the long-term dog-walking market, and John Minchin accepted.

Spot Dog Walking is still operating and sells through its website.