BringFido
BringFido is a privately held, bootstrapped pet travel directory and booking platform serving dog owners across 100+ countries. It aggregates 565,000+ pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, activities, events, and services and monetizes via hotel commissions, affiliate referrals, and advertising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersTravelers Rest, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What BringFido does
BringFido is a vertically specialized pet travel directory and booking platform founded in 2005 and operated by Kendall Media, Inc., headquartered in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. The platform aggregates 565,889 lodging properties (155,883 hotels, 373,151 vacation rentals, 24,674 B&Bs, and 12,180 campgrounds), 85,463 dog-friendly restaurants, 29,832 activities, 24,247 pet service businesses, and over 1,000 events across more than 100 countries and all 50 US states. Its product surface comprises seven interconnected directories (lodging, restaurants, activities, events, services, destinations, airlines), a ~956-article pet travel blog, a user-generated dog photo gallery, and native iOS and Android applications, with social authentication via Apple, Google, and Facebook and a Mapbox-powered map browsing experience. Two proprietary features distinguish it from general OTAs: the Pet Friendly Guarantee (which locks pet-friendly room assignments and caps pet fees) and the Canine Concierge (which proactively verifies assignments at booking), and BringFido monetizes by earning hotel booking commissions, affiliate referrals (notably to Airbnb and pet insurance providers), and platform advertising aimed at pet-welcoming businesses.
The business model is freemium to consumers (no booking fees for members, mobile and web access free of charge) with revenue concentrated in commissionable hotel bookings, affiliate-driven vacation rental and insurance redirects, and advertising sold to pet-friendly hotels and service providers. Its go-to-market is fundamentally product-led and community-led growth: SEO-optimized destination and blog content drives top-of-funnel traffic, user-generated reviews, photos, and spot submissions build a self-reinforcing content library, and promotional codes (e.g., PAWTY) convert that traffic into bookings.
The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and led by founder and CEO Melissa Halliburton, with a 11–50-person headcount and no disclosed institutional funding, M&A, or leadership-change events in the supplied data; its primary structural gap is the absence of disclosed financial metrics (revenue, ARR, GMV), which limits precise valuation or growth benchmarking from external sources.
BringFido firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BringFido
- Legal name
- Kendall Media, Inc.
- Website
- https://bringfido.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BringFido is a privately held, bootstrapped pet travel directory and booking platform serving dog owners across 100+ countries. It aggregates 565,000+ pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, activities, events, and services and monetizes via hotel commissions, affiliate referrals, and advertising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BringFido industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Pet Travel Directory and Booking Platform
- NAICS
- All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Travel Agencies (561510)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Airport & Travel Pet Transfers (HSANAIAE)
Keywords
Where BringFido is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Travelers Rest
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
BringFido business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hotel Booking Commissions: BringFido earns commissions from hotel bookings made through its platform. While marketed as 'no booking fees' for members, the company charges hotels/properties for bookings referred through the platform.
- Affiliate Referrals: Revenue generated through affiliate relationships with pet insurance providers, vacation rental platforms like Airbnb, and other pet-related services.
- Advertising: Hotels and pet-related businesses can advertise on the BringFido platform to reach pet-owning travelers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free membership for consumers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
BringFido product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BringFido operates a multi-category pet-friendly travel directory and booking platform that lists over 565,000 hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants, activities, events, and pet services across 100+ countries. The platform enables dog owners to search, review, and book pet-friendly accommodations and experiences, supported by member services including the Pet Friendly Guarantee and Canine Concierge that verify room assignments and protect against unexpected pet fees. Revenue is generated through hotel booking commissions, advertising from hotels and pet businesses, and affiliate referrals to partners such as Airbnb and pet insurance providers.
Product overview
BringFido is a pet-friendly travel platform operating as a multi-category directory and booking marketplace. The core product consists of several interconnected directories: a lodging directory (featuring over 565,000 hotels, vacation rentals, bed & breakfasts, and campgrounds), a restaurant directory (85,000+ dog-friendly eateries), an activities directory (30,000+ dog parks, beaches, trails, and attractions), an events calendar (1,000+ dog events), and a pet services directory (24,000+ sitters, groomers, vets, and trainers). The platform is complemented by a pet travel blog with nearly 1,000 articles and a user-generated dog photo gallery. Key differentiators include the Pet Friendly Guarantee service that protects room assignments and pet fees, the Canine Concierge that ensures pet-friendly room assignments, and zero booking fees for members. Mobile access is provided via native iOS and Android applications. The platform integrates social authentication (Apple, Google, Facebook), Airbnb for vacation rental bookings, and Mapbox for location mapping.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BringFido Pet Friendly Lodging Directory A searchable directory of pet-friendly accommodations including hotels, vacation rentals, bed & breakfasts, and campgrounds, featuring over 565,000 properties worldwide with user reviews and direct booking capabilities for travelers with dogs.
- BringFido Restaurant Directory
Quantifiable outcome
- 500,000+ places to stay, play, and eat with dogs
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use BringFido
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BringFido technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
BringFido partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- AirbnbminorIntegration allowing BringFido users to book Airbnb vacation rentals that accept pets. Users can browse and book Airbnb properties through BringFido's platform.
- RuffGuidesminorBringFido offers books through RuffGuides, a publishing partner for pet travel guides and resources.
- Pet Insurance ProvidersminorBringFido promotes pet insurance services on its platform, earning affiliate referrals when users sign up.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BringFido competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BringFido social profiles
Digital presenceBringFido financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BringFido leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
BringFido funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BringFido 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 BringFido
What does BringFido do?
BringFido operates a multi-category pet-friendly travel directory and booking platform that lists over 565,000 hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants, activities, events, and pet services across 100+ countries. The platform enables dog owners to search, review, and book pet-friendly accommodations and experiences, supported by member services including the Pet Friendly Guarantee and Canine Concierge that verify room assignments and protect against unexpected pet fees. Revenue is generated through hotel booking commissions, advertising from hotels and pet businesses, and affiliate referrals to partners such as Airbnb and pet insurance providers.
Is BringFido a public or private company?
BringFido is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BringFido founded?
BringFido was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BringFido based?
BringFido is headquartered in Travelers Rest, United States, in the North America region.
How does BringFido make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hotel Booking Commissions are the primary driver. The others are affiliate Referrals and advertising.
Does BringFido have an API?
No public API is recorded for BringFido.
What industry is BringFido in?
BringFido's product category is Online Pet Travel Directory and Booking Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSANAIAE, Airport & Travel Pet Transfers. Its NAICS code is 561599 and its SIC code is 4700.