Imagine a world where humans live up to the standards set by their dogs.
That”™s the vision of Arlyn Young and Chris Souchack, founders of DogParkCommunity.com, a social networking site where the pets are the stars.
“People would rather talk about their dogs than their kids,” Souchack said. “Our mission is to build a community where animal lovers can connect and share their joy.”
It all started earlier this year when Young of Wilton, Conn., and Souchack of Scarsdale lost their New York City jobs, on Wall Street and Madison Avenue, respectively.
Instead of pounding the pavement looking for new jobs, they created a “virtual dog park for dogs and their owners to hang out and mingle.”
Founded last summer in a Toyota Rav4 on I-95 heading north from Atlanta, the site is “like Facebook for dogs.”
“We were in the car and just brainstorming business ideas and we didn”™t turn the radio on once,” Young said.
The idea for the site was inspired by Young”™s chocolate Labrador retriever, Digger, and Souchack”™s Westie, Timmy.
“My lab is 11 ½ now, and he”™s like my child,” Young said. “He”™s awesome. I hike all the time, and he hikes with me. He even body surfs at the shore in New Jersey. We just have a lot of fun hanging out.”
While Young always had dogs growing up, Souchack”™s experience with canines started later in life.
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“For years I could never understand why people would be so attached to their animals,” Souchack said. “One of my daughters was painfully shy and a dog helped her overcome it. My daughter took this dog and walked up to complete strangers. The joy and light that dogs bring into peoples lives is extraordinary. It”™s that unconditional love that”™s there no matter what circumstances you have in your life. It”™s amazing to me that non-dog lovers, when they finally get a dog, are the biggest converts ever.”
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Dogs bring people together, especially in situations where words might not work, Souchack said.
“When people are in a bad mood, they can just go to the site and it will brighten up their day,” Young said.
Souchack said she and Young will solicit advertising on the site as membership builds.
There are currently about 150 members, but “we”™re looking forward to a million members,” Young said.
In addition, the two entrepreneurs are manufacturing “poop pouches.”
The environmentally-friendly pouches, which will hold plastic bags made of corn-based material, will be made of repurposed fabric. The pouch is designed to hang from a dog”™s leash.
As for advice to others who have lost their jobs and are looking to change careers, Souchack and Young take their advice from worldwide bestselling self-help book “The Secret.”
“Have a very clear goal, be very focused, be grateful and have unwavering faith,” Souchack said.
