Every walk should feel safe

The idea for Paws Near Me started when I moved from London to Stockholm. The impromptu morning dog walks I’d taken for granted suddenly disappeared. At the same time, I began encountering far more reactive dogs.

With city-wide leash laws, the dog park became the only place I could let my husky, Echo, run freely and get the exercise she needed. But every visit felt like a gamble. I’d arrive not knowing whether it would be empty or overcrowded, whether there was broken glass on the path, or whether there were dogs Echo wouldn’t get along with.

I started seeing the same owners each morning. Many would give me a wide berth to avoid triggering their dogs. I’d come across hazards — icy paths, wildlife, unexpected risks — and kept thinking how useful it would be to know about these things before leaving the house.

When I spoke to other dog owners, I realised these weren’t isolated frustrations. Reactive dog owners had it worse — every walk came with uncertainty and stress about what (or who) they might encounter. And yet, there was no tool that truly solved this. Apps like Google Maps or WhatsApp help in small ways, but they don’t address the core problem.

When I later moved back to London — to a completely different neighbourhood — I saw the same pattern again. The lack of real-time, hyperlocal information about dog walking routes wasn’t a Stockholm problem. It was universal.

There’s nothing that helps dog owners plan walks that are both safe and social. It simply doesn’t exist.

So I started building one.

Paws Near Me isn't a walk tracker. It's the Waze for dog owners — a real-time community intelligence layer built around the places where dogs and their owners actually live their lives. It shows you which dogs are at the park right now. It warns you about hazards before your walk. It connects you with the owners you see all the time but never had the chance to connect with.

It makes every walk smarter, safer, and more connected.