The Dodo
The Dodo is a digital media company that produces video-first animal rescue and pet story content for pet owners and families, distributing it across social platforms, a website, and email, and monetizing via advertising, e-commerce, retail merchandise, and brand licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Dodo does
The Dodo is a digital media company founded in 2014 and headquartered in New York, focused exclusively on animal content. It produces original video series, articles, and short-form social content around animal rescue, pet care, wildlife, and family-friendly animal stories, distributed across its own website, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. The company is part of the Vox Media network following Vox's acquisition of a majority stake, and is also subject to a 20% holding by Penske Media Corporation stemming from a $100M PMC investment in Vox Media in 2023; as of 2026 PMC is reportedly in talks to acquire the remaining Vox Media brands, including The Dodo.
The core product is DodoTV, a portfolio of more than 20 original video franchises (Adopt Me!, Pittie Nation, Dream Date, Wild Hearts, Dodo Digs, Saving the Wild, among others), supplemented by the DodoWell wellness content hub, the Paw of Approval / The Pack product review program, the daily 'Love, Dodo' email newsletter, and the Submit Your Pet user-generated content feature. The company also operates the Pick of the Litter pet adoption platform, which is powered by RescueGroups.org and integrates shelter and rescue animal listings into The Dodo's site.
The Dodo monetizes through three distinct streams: (1) digital advertising across its owned and operated web and video properties, (2) e-commerce and merchandise sales via its own storefront, Amazon, and major retail partners Walmart and Target (Shop Dodo branded pet gear, The Dodo Loveables plush toys, and Dodo-branded dog treats), and (3) brand licensing, most notably a co-branded pet insurance product with Fetch Pet Insurance (underwritten by Axis Insurance Company). It also generates publishing revenue through a partnership with Scholastic for middle-grade books. The customer base is primarily consumers — pet owners, families with children, and animal rescue advocates — with B2B counterparties limited to licensing and retail distribution partners.
The Dodo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Dodo
- Legal name
- Vox Media, LLC
- Website
- https://thedodo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Dodo is a digital media company that produces video-first animal rescue and pet story content for pet owners and families, distributing it across social platforms, a website, and email, and monetizing via advertising, e-commerce, retail merchandise, and brand licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Dodo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Media
- NAICS
- Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (45991), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pet Care & Pet Supplies DTC (CRAFACAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Small Animal Food (rabbit/guinea pig/hamster) (CRADAFAJ)
Keywords
Where The Dodo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Dodo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Advertising: The Dodo generates revenue through digital advertising on its website and video content. The site features sponsored content and display advertising across its pages.
- E-commerce / Merchandise Sales: The Dodo sells branded pet products, apparel, toys, and accessories through its online shop. Products include pet gear (bandanas, bungee leashes, hoodies), grooming items, and The Dodo Loveables plush toys sold at Walmart and Target.
- Brand Licensing: Fetch Pet Insurance is branded through The Dodo, indicating a licensing partnership where The Dodo's brand association generates revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Fetch Pet Insurance branded through The Dodo |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Dodo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Dodo is a digital media company that produces and distributes original video-first content centered on animal rescue, pet care, and wildlife stories through its website and major social media platforms. The company also operates a proprietary e-commerce shop selling branded pet products, plush toys, and merchandise through retail partners, and runs a pet adoption platform integrated with shelter networks.
Product overview
The Dodo is a digital media company focused on animal content, operating as a platform with multiple content and commerce products. The core offering is DodoTV/video content featuring original animal rescue and pet story series, supplemented by wellness content (DodoWell), product reviews (Paw of Approval/The Pack), and an e-commerce shop. The product portfolio includes proprietary pet merchandise (Shop Dodo), children's toys (The Dodo Loveables), published books (Scholastic partnership), and pet adoption services (Pick of The Litter). Content is distributed through the main website, video platforms, email newsletters, and social media, with products sold through the company's own shop as well as retail partners Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DodoWell: Wellness content hub offering pet health resources, expert advice, and curated product recommendations for dogs and cats.
- Paw of Approval
Products and services
- DodoTV / Video Shows The Dodo's primary video content platform featuring 20+ original series about animal rescue, pet stories, and wildlife encounters, distributed across the website, YouTube, TikTok, and other social channels. Free, ad-supported entertainment and informational content for animal lovers.
- DodoWell Pet wellness resource hub offering health advice, product recommendations, expert tips, and curated pet product picks for dogs and cats. Targeted at pet owners seeking care guidance.
- Paw of Approval / The Pack Product review and recommendation platform where The Dodo tests and endorses innovative pet products, with a corresponding ethics program called The Pack. Used by pet owners to inform purchasing decisions.
- Shop Dodo Pet Products The Dodo's proprietary branded pet product line including pet gear (bandanas, bungee leashes, hoodies), grooming items, and apparel sold directly to consumers through retail partners Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
- The Dodo Loveables Kids' toy line featuring mystery box plush characters inspired by favorite Dodo franchises, distributed through Walmart and Target retail partners.
- The Dodo Scholastic Books Middle-grade books published in partnership with Scholastic, bringing real-life animal stories to young readers. Distributed through Amazon and other retail book channels.
- A Kids Book About - The Dodo Bundle Children's books bundle designed to help kids build empathy and take active roles with family pets, available as a bundle through A Kids Co.
- Pick of The Litter Pet adoption platform powered by RescueGroups.org, connecting users with adoptable cats and dogs from shelter and rescue networks across the United States.
- The Dodo Dog Treats Line of dog treats developed by The Pack and inspired by The Dodo's own dogs, marketed as high-quality pet products and distributed via Amazon.
Companies that use The Dodo
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Dodo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
The Dodo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fetch Pet InsurancecoreFetch Pet Insurance is underwritten by Axis Insurance Company and branded through The Dodo. The partnership leverages The Dodo's brand recognition in the pet space to market pet insurance products to its animal-loving audience.
- ScholasticcoreThe Dodo partnered with Scholastic to bring real-life animal stories to middle-school readers. The partnership has produced multiple books including 'Rosie's Story', 'Little But Fierce', 'Nubby's Story', 'Odd Couples', 'Comeback Kids', and 'El Dodo Pequeño y Valiente'.
- WalmartcoreWalmart serves as a retail distribution partner for The Dodo's merchandise, including The Dodo Loveables plush toy mystery boxes and pet products.
- TargetcoreTarget serves as a retail distribution partner for The Dodo's merchandise, including The Dodo Loveables plush toy mystery boxes.
- RescueGroups.orgcoreRescueGroups.org powers The Dodo's adoption platform (Pick of the Litter), integrating shelter and rescue animal listings to facilitate pet adoptions through The Dodo's website.
- Vox MediacoreThe Dodo is owned by Vox Media, a digital media company. Vox Media holds a significant stake in The Dodo and the platform operates as part of the Vox Media network.
- Annie's TrustminorAnnie's Trust is a UK-based animal welfare group that funds animal rescues featured on The Dodo. They provide resources including vaccinations, medical treatment and food for rescued animals featured in stories.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Dodo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PetMD: PetMD operates a large digital content platform focused on pet health, wellness, and lifestyle articles and videos. Comparable to The Dodo's DodoWell and editorial hub in combining pet-owner education with media monetization.
- DogTime: DogTime is a pet-focused digital media property covering dog breeds, behavior, adoption, and lifestyle. It directly mirrors The Dodo's audience (pet owners) and editorial monetization model via display ads and affiliate commerce.
- Petfinder: Petfinder is the dominant pet adoption platform, owned by PetSmart. It directly competes with The Dodo's Pick of the Litter adoption experience powered by RescueGroups.org and serves the same rescue-driven audience.
Broad incumbents
- BuzzFeed: BuzzFeed is a large digital media company using social video and listicle content to drive traffic, ads, and commerce. Comparable as a multi-platform publisher leveraging a similar low-cost video and editorial playbook, though broader in subject matter.
- Discovery (Animal Planet / discovery+): Discovery owns Animal Planet and discovery+, long-form animal/wildlife programming brands. Comparable to The Dodo's video-first animal content franchises but at a much larger, traditional media scale.
- Chewy: Chewy is the largest US online pet retailer, with growing owned content (Chewy Health, previous Vetstreet). Comparable to The Dodo's pet products commerce and content ambitions, though Chewy owns the retail and supply chain end.
- Vice Media: Vice is a digital-first media brand built on social video, branded content, and commerce extensions. Comparable as a peer in digital media operating model and youth-oriented video, though broader in subject matter.
- Petco: Petco is a national pet retail and services chain with growing content and wellness offerings. Comparable in pet-owner commercial footprint and shelf competition for Dodo-branded products distributed through retail partners.
Emerging players
- Bark (BarkBox): BarkBox operates a subscription pet product business with strong content and social media presence (BarkPost). Comparable to The Dodo's Dodo-branded toys and treats in combining pet commerce with a content-led brand funnel.
Others
- Rover: Rover operates a marketplace for pet services (sitting, walking, boarding) and adjacent content. Comparable as a digital-first brand monetizing the same engaged pet-owner audience, though focused on services rather than content.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Dodo social profiles
Digital presenceThe Dodo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Dodo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Dodo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Dodo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Dodo
What does The Dodo do?
The Dodo is a digital media company that produces and distributes original video-first content centered on animal rescue, pet care, and wildlife stories through its website and major social media platforms. The company also operates a proprietary e-commerce shop selling branded pet products, plush toys, and merchandise through retail partners, and runs a pet adoption platform integrated with shelter networks.
Is The Dodo a public or private company?
The Dodo is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Dodo founded?
The Dodo was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Dodo based?
The Dodo is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Dodo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are E-commerce / Merchandise Sales and brand Licensing.
Who are The Dodo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PetMD, DogTime and Petfinder. Broad incumbents are BuzzFeed, Discovery (Animal Planet / discovery+), Chewy, Vice Media and Petco. Bark (BarkBox) is listed as an emerging player. Rover is listed as an others.
Does The Dodo have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Dodo.
What industry is The Dodo in?
The Dodo's product category is Digital Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFACAH, Pet Care & Pet Supplies DTC, with a secondary code of CRADAFAJ, Small Animal Food (rabbit/guinea pig/hamster). Its NAICS code is 45991.