Offleash’d is a social community that connects pet lovers. The platform features two options, those looking for a common bond between pet lovers to form a friendship, “Pet Social”, and those hoping that their common bond turns into love, “Dating”. A product of the pandemic, the social app was created when co-founders Manish Methai and Terry James found themselves isolated and looking for connection outside of their COVID pod.
We interviewed CEO and Founder, Manish Methai, who was born and raised in Bellevue, and now resides in the Bellevue area with his wife and pet dog. According to Methai, when he first met his now wife, she had a puppy whom she loved deeply. After she saw how much her puppy loved him, she knew that he was the one. This love and bond that pets inspire is what the Offleash’d community is based off of.
While the idea of the app was originally pitched by Methai to James in 2020, it officially launched in June 2022. They both believed in creating a pet ecosystem where anyone with an animal, be it a cat, dog, rabbit, reptile, horse, etc. could feel comfortable and included, while gaining resources and education from the pet loving community.
Manish comes from a tech background with over nine years of experience. He worked for an AI company and implemented an algorithm that not only uses human information to help match, but also uses the pet’s personality traits, age, breed within to match humans, and also pair the pets.
While the team currently works remotely, Manish is based out of Bellevue and his co-founder visits every other week from Los Angeles. They share future goals of holding events to connect the pet loving community at pet-friendly restaurants, creating a pet pass, and to continue donating to PAWS Walk for a Cause to save cats and dogs.
Current members that are signed up for the app’s services are based in the Washington area like Bellevue, Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma. The team plans to take Offleash’d to the California market next.
The app is striving to create an inclusive community that makes connections through shared experiences and a love for pets. If you are interested in swiping right to meet your purrrfect friend or partner, visit their website.
