eBay Mobile Challenge: Finding a New Furry Friend with the eBay Classifieds Pet App

By Reena Jana
May 19, 2011

My husband and I were both raised with dogs, and our two sons are growing up with a canine family member as well. We love our “dog daughter” Lulu, a rescued Jack Russell Terrier who we adopted five years ago, so much that recently, we began to consider adopting another dog. Owning two dogs and having two kids is not unusual in most parts of the U.S., but it might seem crazy if you live in a Manhattan apartment and are already space-challenged like we are.

However, having two (or more!) dogs in the city can make sense, says Jennifer Jill, a popular dog-sitter and dog trainer on New York’s Upper West Side and co-owner of Northward Hound, a company that takes city dogs on country excursions and offers a line of dog accessories and pet care products. “Lately, I’d say about 50 percent of my clients have two dogs in their city homes,” says Jill, who has three of her own in a Manhattan apartment. “It’s great for them to keep each other company during the day when the family is at work and school.” So taking her advice, I decided to research the possibility of adopting a Jack Russell by checking out the eBay Classifieds Pet app for the iPhone (and iPod Touch).

Pet App

Once you’ve installed the eBay Classifieds Pet app (above, left) and indicated where you live, it immediately offers adorable, listings of adoptable pets looking for homes in your area, with basic information on size and breed (above, right).

Pet App

Even before I typed in a search for a Jack Russell terrier in New York on the eBay Classifieds Pet app, I scrolled through the images of adoptable dogs that are currently available in Manhattan, and I came across this sweet picture of Madison (above, left), a small Jack Russell. For those who want to find pets online more methodically, the eBay Classifieds Pets app allows you to type in parameters, such as minimum and maximum price (above, right), or the distance from your home that you are willing to travel to pick up the pet.

I also asked Jill and her business partner in Northward Hound, Leeland Allen, whether there was a top dog breed they would recommend for our situation—two little kids and an uncharacteristically lazy Jack Russell in a two-bedroom urban apartment. Would another Jack Russell, a breed known for extremely energetic personalities, make it tough for our existing pet? “I don’t think there should be any ‘restrictions’ when defining what the ‘ideal’ dog is for a city home. I know a woman who lives in a one-bedroom apartment on Union Square with two Great Danes, and they’re all happy,” Jill says. “Other dog owners are in awe, but it’s no big deal if you make sure that the dog is able to go out and get the appropriate amount of exercise for the breed you choose.”

Allen also added that she’s seeing many city households choosing cats as a second pet as a companion to an existing family dog, to keep the canine from feeling lonely during the hours when it's alone. “Plus, it’s so adorable to see dogs and cats getting along,” she says with a laugh.

So heeding their advice, I spent a good part of the day sneaking peaks at Madison the Jack Russell’s photo on the eBay Classifieds Pets app, imagining her interacting with Lulu while my husband and I were out and the nanny was taking our boys to class and play dates. I noticed that at the bottom of the eBay app's home screen are a series of icons that point not only to dogs, but also cats, and other pets (see the rabbit, guinea pigs and "friendly" python I found available for adoption in New York, below), so the option of bringing a cat into our lives suddenly seemed like an easy one, if we decided to go that route.

Pet App

Realizing that adopting a new dog into our home would mean picking up new accessories for an additional pet, I turned again to Jill and Allen for tips. “We think it’s really important for dogs to have a place to go to that’s theirs—especially for [potty] training a new dog,” Allen advises. “We are avid crate enthusiasts,” Jill adds. “Dogs need a place that feels safe. Dogs don’t want to go to the bathroom in their own crates, so it’s more likely they’ll adjust to going to the bathroom outside.”

Although we didn’t use a crate to train Lulu, I started looking on the eBay Classifieds Pets app for a crate or an easy-to-install small pen that we could set up in our dining room to provide a designated and "safe" place for a new dog.

Pet App

On the search screen, I typed in “crate" (above, left), and then added that I wanted to find one within five miles of where I live, so it would be easy to pick up. (The eBay Classifieds Pet app asks permission to locate you via the iPhone’s GPS (above, right).)

If you answer yes, the app will then pull up a handy map indicating where and even how to pick up your purchase, should you choose to buy the pet accessory, along with directions for walking, driving, or taking mass transit (above, left). In seconds, I found a nearby listing for a barely used, small exercise pen that could be set up and taken down easily, so we could put it away if we had a dinner party (above, right).

I have to admit that we haven’t yet made the final decision on adding a new dog to our lives—it’s a huge and life-changing responsibility, of course, and one that we didn’t take lightly the first time around. But thanks to the eBay Classifieds Pets iPhone app—and some smart tips from the owners of Northward Hound—I feel more confident than ever that we’ll make our decision wisely.

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