Pawmatcher – Because Finding a Home Shouldn’t Be a Lottery for Shelter Dogs

Every day, thousands of dogs sit behind metal bars waiting for someone to notice them.

Most never get that chance — not because they aren’t loving or beautiful — but because they’re buried on outdated websites that no one scrolls through anymore.

That’s the problem we’re fixing.

I’m Iva Bosotina, founder of Pawmatcher, a nonprofit mobile app that connects shelter dogs with adopters — like Tinder, but for dogs who need homes.

Why This Matters?

I grew up in Belgrade, Serbia, where street dogs are everywhere.

Since I was nine years old, I’ve been picking them up, feeding them, finding them homes.

Now I live in Vienna with my third rescue dog, but that same problem still follows me — too many dogs, not enough visibility, not enough people reaching them in time.

While volunteering with Animal Care Austria, I’ve seen the system up close. The shelters we support — one in Sviloš, Serbia (about 200 dogs) and one in Kiskulanca, Hungary (around 300 dogs) — are full.

Every dog has a story, but most will never be seen by the right person because their photos are small, the sites are clunky, and no one scrolls past page three.

Dogs literally stay in cages longer just because of bad UX.

That’s not acceptable.

What We’re Building:

So we’re building Pawmatcher — a clean, simple app where users can swipe through dogs, read about them, see real photos and videos, and contact shelters directly.

No endless lists. No broken links. Just one platform that helps people connect with the dog that’s meant for them.

This isn’t a startup to make money. It’s a tool to fix a broken adoption system.

Who’s Behind It:

It’s a small team with a big heart:

Bruce – our programmer and CTO, the brain making this app actually work.

Dina – creative art director, designing a user experience that finally does justice to the dogs we’re trying to help.

And me – the one who’s been picking dogs off the street since childhood and an idea of the process and operations.

We’re all volunteers. Nobody’s getting paid for this.

What We Need:

How the funds will be used:

We’re raising funds to cover the basics:

Server and database costs

App publishing fees (Google Play & App Store)

Outreach and promotion so shelters and adopters actually find each other

That’s it. No corporate nonsense — just what’s needed to make it real.

The Bigger Picture

If we get Pawmatcher launched, we can cut adoption waiting times, make shelters & non profit organisations more visible, and save dogs that would otherwise be forgotten.

We’re starting with Animal Care Austria as our first partner, but we want to expand across Europe.

Because no dog should miss a chance at a home because of a bad website.

Join Us!

We’re not asking for charity.

We’re asking you to help us fix something that’s broken — something that decides whether a dog lives behind a fence or sleeps at the foot of someone’s bed.

If you believe technology can do better for them — help us build it.

One swipe can change a life.

– Iva Bosotina

Founder, Pawmatcher