“Doggie Dates” is a social impact initiative designed to connect dog owners who need help caring for their pets with students suffering from loneliness and anxiety in post-pandemic New York City. As more pet owners return to in-person work, many dogs suffer from separation anxiety while their owners struggle with guilt and transactional pet-care solutions. Simultaneously, students miss the companionship of pets left behind at home. Doggie Dates bridges this gap through a referral-based app that connects trusted university students with local professionals in need of compassionate, flexible dog-walking help. By building a “circle of trust and tails,” the platform fosters mutual mental health benefits, strengthens community bonds, and reframes pet care as a shared, human-centered experience.

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