From passion to pitch: Meet Dubai-based founder of PetBae, who secured a spot on Shark Tank UAE

Dubai: In the bustling metropolis of Dubai, where pet ownership continues to rise, a homegrown startup is attempting to reduce the stress of pet parents while they travel for the holidays.

Meet Joey Chaaya, the Dubai-born and raised co-founder and CEO of PetBae, a C2C marketplace for pet owners to search for individual sitters who can care for their pets, as and when needed and on their terms. This means pet parents needn’t depend on boarding services, which can sometimes be a traumatic experience for our furry companions.

Alternatively, sitters can provide a boarding option in their own home while pet parents are travelling. They also offer home drop-in visits and dog walking. The site operates on a review basis, allowing users to select their desired sitter carefully.

Chaaya explained that all sitters undergo a background check, provide detailed information for security, and are approved to be listed on PetBae.com only if they meet the required experience level.

What inspired PetBae?

Chaaya gets the pain of leaving your best friend behind while going on a holiday. In fact, his own four-legged muse, Renzo, was the inspiration for his “lightbulb moment,” leading him straight to the doorstep of pet parents across the UAE and, yep, even onto the intimidating set of Shark Tank UAE.

Forget the sad, caged boarding facilities that left his beloved, anxious rescue dog, Renzo, a bit worse for wear. Chaaya decided that enough was enough. “It just makes sense to me," Joey said, advocating for the comfort and familiarity of a home environment for pets, especially those with unique needs or anxieties.

This personal quest led him to a neighbour who provided loving, in-home care – a model that became the bedrock of PetBae.

What started as an idea between two friends, Chaaya and Kareem Costenoble, in 2019, came to fruition in the fall of 2021, when the online platform launched to the public.

How does it work?

PetBae acts as a connector, linking pet owners with a rigorously vetted network of “pet sitters” for a range of services including dog walking, drop-in visits, overnight pet sitting at the owner's home, boarding at the sitter's residence, and daycare.

The platform's business model is transparent: PetBae takes a 20 per cent commission from the pet sitter’s earnings and applies a 5 per cent service charge to the pet owner. This structure, combined with many sitters operating from their own homes, often translates into significant savings, with PetBae’s services averaging 25 per cent cheaper than traditional market options.

Vetting process

A cornerstone of PetBae’s success lies in its stringent vetting process. Out of an astounding 12,000 sign-ups for pet sitters, only around 2,000 have been approved, with a mere 1,000 actively receiving bookings.

This multi-layered process includes verifying experience, requiring Emirates IDs and references, conducting detailed background checks, and often a personal video call. "Ultimately, the pet owner has to make their own judgment based on what they want for their pet. It always goes back to their choice," Joey said.

“In the end of the day, only those who submit their profiles are vetted, and even once submitted, it's not guaranteed they'll go through. They must either be current or previous pet owners and provide proof of this, and we have methods for verifying this. We're also doing a quick social background check to make sure that their socials are alive and they are who they say they are,” he explained.

He added, “We have a review-based platform, so other pet owners are technically vetting the pet sitters. When pet owners visit our platform, they can see those reviews from other pet owners and their feedback.” The pet sitters and parents get to meet each other in advance.

“We have a meet-and-greet functionality through our chat system, which we also track to ensure everything is going correctly,” he added.

Funding for PetBae

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of PetBae’s story is its unique funding journey. Despite engaging with venture capitalists and institutional angels, Joey revealed that the initial capital came directly from the PetBae community itself. “We ended up raising from pet owners,” he said.

Looking ahead, PetBae is poised for significant expansion. “So, we are 100 per cent a tech company, that’s for sure. Yes, it revolves around pets, but we are a tech company. So, we constantly take user feedback in terms of how to improve the user experience.”

The company plans to extend its core services across Abu Dhabi and the wider emirates. New offerings are also on the horizon, including a curated grooming service that will integrate existing, highly selected grooming companies, and the introduction of pet insurance policies marketed through the platform. “Of course, we would like to also expand to the rest of the GCC and beyond,” he added.

While the long-term vision includes evolving into a "super app" for all pet-related needs, Chaaya stresses a focused growth strategy: "Less is more," he advised, prioritising the scaling of their core, most effective services first.

With an impressive 65 per cent retention rate and a 50 per cent repeat booking ratio, PetBae is not just a business; it is a thriving ecosystem built on trust, convenience, and a shared love for animals.