by Cathy Martin
For most dog owners, finding a (human) companion who shares their love of their four-legged friends is nonnegotiable. Now, a Charlotte entrepreneur aims to help dog lovers find their romantic match. On Oct. 31, Cindy Himmel soft-launched Frolly, a dating app for dog lovers.
“This idea started several years ago with just the most simplistic line that came out of my daughter’s mouth,” Himmel recalls. Her daughter, Amanda, who was very attached to her rescue dog, Artemis, had just begun a new relationship. Himmel asked how it was going. “And she said, ‘I don’t know — he’s just not that into dogs.’”
It was a light-bulb moment for Himmel, who relocated with her husband to Charlotte from Chicago during the pandemic. “A bell rang in my head, like, what an idea — to put people together in that way.”
Himmel began researching and found a few similar apps in other markets, but nothing exactly like what she envisioned. She also discovered that plenty of people were becoming turned off by dating apps in general.
“I saw this as a means to bring some playful joy back into the dating app and connecting [with others] in a more meaningful way.”
MUST LOVE DOGS
Himmel, a former social worker and bakery owner in Chicago, spent three years finding the right team who could bring her idea to life. On Frolly, users create a profile for themselves along with a profile for their pooch. But owning a dog isn’t a requirement for joining the app.
“You might be at a stage in your life where your dog has passed away; you might live in an apartment that doesn’t allow dogs … You could very well be a dog lover and for whatever reason just not have the ability to have a dog,” Himmel acknowledges. “As long as you love dogs, you’re in.”
Charlotte is an ideal test market for the app because of the influx of young professionals and the abundance of dog-friendly breweries and outdoor activities, Himmel says.
“‘Dog Mom’ is a title I wear proudly, so I was really excited to hear about Frolly,” says Liz Eads, a millennial dog owner in Charlotte. “My pup, Harley, is a huge foundation in my life, so having that commonality with someone is really appealing.” Being a dog parent influences everything from her daily routine to how she spends her free time, Eads says. “Because this app is specifically for dog parents, it naturally lines you up with people who plan and think similarly.”
Eads points out another advantage to using Frolly: “We automatically have a mutual topic to kickstart the convo around, which can be harder on some of the other apps. And it’s likely they’ll already be into the activities I enjoy doing with Harley, like walks in Freedom Park, Bark in the Park at the Charlotte Knights, River Jam at the Whitewater Center, or just a chill night in with the pup on the couch.”
CHASING JOY
For now, the app is only available in Charlotte, but Himmel has big expansion plans, after getting a few initial kinks worked out.
“The sky’s the limit,” she says. “I would like to see the app everywhere nationwide, and perhaps even worldwide.” Frolly is free for now, though eventually users will pay a fee. Himmel plans to donate 25% of profits to animal-welfare organizations in each market where Frolly is available.
Himmel can’t wait for the matchmaking to begin.
“I am so excited about the idea of when we can hear stories about people who have met [on the app], and are engaged and are getting married,” she says.
“The idea is that our dogs bring us joy, and we’re hoping to make online dating a more positive, authentic and honest experience.” SP
