Ever Wonder Who Walks Shelter Dogs Or Wanted To Yourself?

Have you ever wonder who takes local shelter dogs out for walks or wanted to take one yourself? Well, there could be an app called, “Walkzee,” coming soon that could match you up with a furry friend for a wonderful walk in the park or around town.

A couple from the San Francisco-area was inspired by a program they enjoyed while on their honeymoon in Hawaii. Charlie and Cristina Saunders took a pooch out named “Big Z,” from the Kauai Humane Society, which encourages visitors to borrow shelter dogs for day trips like going to the beach or for a hike.

This grants the dogs a great opportunity to relax, socialize, and enjoy the great outdoors. While the dogs are out with their new found friend, they wear cute little “adopt me” vests, which exposes them to tons of new potential adopters.

"While on the walk we talked about how amazing it was as a program," he told The Huffington Post. "So many dog lovers don't have a dog to spend time with, because of their job or home situation. Meanwhile, so many dogs wait for a walk in a shelter. We think this is crazy."

The couple wants to see if they can get more shelter dogs out walking with more dog lovers, and in turn, increased adoption rates.

According to The Huffington Post, here's how the app would work: Shelters could list their dogs on Walkzee, and then would-be walkers would search for those dogs by location. They'd request a walk using the shelter's preferred method, which could be through the app, by reaching out to the shelter directly, or in any other way the shelter likes to field requests.

Afterward, walkers could leave Yelp-like reviews for both the dogs and shelters. They'd also have the ability to donate directly to the shelters through the app. Walkzee won't take a cut, Saunders says; the app, which will be free, will likely rely on advertising to make money.

Users could also share their experiences on Facebook and other social media platforms, giving the dogs more exposure.

If all goes well with your new walking companion, "You can also send an adoption request to the shelter and kick off the adoption process," said Saunders.

The Saunders couple is currently holding a Kickstarter campaign, which is more than two-thirds of the way towards its $20,000 goal. If crowdfunding fails, there are other funding routes available, according to the Saunders. The hope is to launch Walkzee in June 2015.

There are still a few other initial steps left to complete before the first version of the app is actually ready for use, like getting actual shelters on board. A handful of organizations who are ready to sign on with the app, and there’s confidence that there will be plenty more joining by the launch time.

Tactics for enticing more shelters into joining include offering up bonuses like dog-supply packages -- with leashes, blankets, etc. -- for participants. Future app features may include some type of background check process for walkers, Saunders said, and perhaps a version of Walkzee for people who like cats.