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Dog lovers have a friend in Dig, a dating app for humans and their canines

Dig, the dog person's dating app, is throwing a dog speed dating event at Marmara Park Avenue on Thursday.
Dig, the dog person’s dating app, is throwing a dog speed dating event at Marmara Park Avenue on Thursday. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Evelyn Ruggiero

Let your dog be your wingman at this “Must Love Dogs” speed dating event in New York City.

On Thursday, your (furry) best friend can do the schmoozing at the free event by Dig, the dog person’s dating app, at Marmara Park Avenue, which is a pet-friendly hotel in midtown.

By downloading the app, you get free entry to a night of dog-centric fun, including a quick grooming session, and possibly meet the (human) love of your life with your pal by your side.

Dog lovers will be able to meet and learn more about each other with their pals on hand.
Dog lovers will be able to meet and learn more about each other with their pals on hand. Photo Credit: Dig

“Our motto is ‘Add a dog to anything and it’ll make it right,'” said Leigh Isaacson, the co-founder of the app. “People have a weird feeling about speed dating … you’re meeting a lot of people at once, but you’re also meeting more dogs at once. You’ll have a lot more fun and they help you let your walls down.”

Once you and your pup pass through the doors, there will be an hour of cocktails and mingling when you can both visit Groomit, an at-home grooming company, for a nail trim or a fluff; ask celebrity veterinarian Dr. Lisa Lippman a health question; and freshen both your breaths with teeth cleaning mints for humans and dogs by Teef ahead of meeting potential dates.

You can also learn about other doggy vendors like D Pet Hotels, which will be giving away free treats, and Fuzzy, an app that aims to make vet care more accessible and more affordable, among others.

After the cocktail hour, everyone will be asked to sit at a long table with their doggos, which will be seated next to them in luxury dog beds by P.L.A.Y. while their counterparts talk.

The beds will later be donated to rescue groups.

Those who don’t want to speed date don’t have to — they can sit at the hotel’s Bar OneOneFour and sip on specialty cocktails with their pup in tow.

In the end, you may not leave with a date, but you can leave with a new dog. Best Friends Animal Society and The Sato Project will both be on hand for those curious about adopting a new friend.

Potential couples who hit it off immediately will be able to enter to win a pet-friendly weekend getaway to Hotel Vermont in Burlington, too.

The event is the first of its kind by Dig, which launched last year in New York City.

According to Isaacson, including four-legged friends in your romantic life is a smart thing to do. The question of whether someone is a dog person is actually meaningful.

“Everything about the app is about compatibility for who you want to spend life with but also for your dog, because they may not get along,” she said. “And when thinking about dating a dog person there’s another piece – dog people see each other as more trustworthy and that they better understand body language.”

Plus, dog owners are more likely to be athletic, or at least mobile.

Your dog's compatibility with a potential significant other and their pet is just as important as yours.
Your dog’s compatibility with a potential significant other and their pet is just as important as yours. Photo Credit: Patrick W. Miller / Dig

Even though Dig is an app, Isaacson said it does encourage people to stray from the swiping culture.

“People have dating app fatigue and just want them to cut to the chase,” she said. “Even though we still have a huge community, showing someone who matches your lifestyle in terms of being compatible is something they look for.”

Isaacson founded the app in 2018 with her sister Casey, who tried dating a guy who wasn’t a dog person. She was disappointed when he wouldn’t let the dog in his apartment — it didn’t work out. 

Out of that, the two decided they wanted to help other single dog lovers connect.

“About 55 percent of single adults are pet owners with dogs leading the way,” Isaacson said. “If you’re looking to date anyone who is single, it’s more likely they have a pet in the house already. A lot of people are looking for a dog person without realizing it.”

If you go: Download Dig to get into the event, which is on Thursday, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Marmara Park Avenue (32nd Street between Park and Lexington Avenue). For more info, visit eventbrite.com.