Empathy at Scale

When Bailey Schroeder adopted Harry, a Chow Chow with behavioral challenges, in 2018, she had no idea this experience would spark a revolution in pet care support. What began as a personal journey through professional dog training evolved into Petcademy , a text-based platform that has facilitated over 40,000 conversations with pet parents. Schroeder's approach centers on empathy-first communication and proactive support, challenging the traditional reactive model of pet care. By drawing insights from human childcare technology and emphasizing the interconnectedness of animal and human wellbeing, Petcademy is redefining what comprehensive pet parent support looks like in the digital age.

1. What does innovation mean to you in the context of pet care?

Innovation in pet care means thinking about the human side of the equation. I'm a big believer in the "one welfare" framework—the interconnectedness of animals and people. When we're building products for pets, we need to consider how we're also making the pet parent's life better. Real innovation happens when you create solutions that benefit both the animal and the human, strengthening their bond rather than just addressing isolated problems.

2. How does your team generate new ideas for supporting pet parents?

To date, we've spoken with over 40,000 pet parents via text message, and every good conversation starts with empathy. We focus on truly understanding where each pet parent is, acknowledging their feelings, and realigning expectations when needed. Our approach isn't about giving massive amounts of detail or in-depth plans—it's about encouragement and clarity. Being there in a convenient way via text when questions arise, providing fast responses that set them up for success with their pet.

3. What resources do you use to identify trends and insights in the pet care space?

I look at three key areas. First, I read the TLDR newsletter every morning—it's scannable and helps me stay current on general tech trends. Second, I study what companies are doing in the human childcare space with technology. The mindset of parents with human children is very similar to pet parents, so I look for ideas we can adapt. Finally, and most importantly, I make time to talk to customers. I read incoming messages and speak with our team of trainers and behavioral consultants to understand what's working and what we can improve.

4. What's been your biggest innovation breakthrough at Petcademy?

Honestly, it was making the decision to move from email to text messaging. When we launched, pet parents had to remember to reach out to us via email—it was very passive. Moving to text meant they could ask questions instantly when issues arose. The second breakthrough was implementing proactive check-ins. We found that even when people have a resource, they might forget about it, especially during stressful moments. Now we check in weekly, asking "Hey, how are things going with your dog Bruce? Do you need anything?" This allows us to reach people before issues escalate.

5. How do you approach building products that consider both pet and human needs?

When building pet products, you have to think about the human. An example was when we launched our product for rescues and shelters. Initially, I was focused on helping animals stay in their homes, but I didn't consider the human implications. The feedback we received was transformative—shelter staff told us we'd made their lives so much easier because they weren't getting constant calls. Pet parents had a trusted resource through our text platform. I would never have thought about that impact if I wasn't considering all the human implications of our product.

6. What's the most significant challenge you face when innovating in pet care?

Distribution and accessibility should be features, not afterthoughts. You don't build a cool product and then figure out how to distribute it. If you build something awesome but nobody can find it, that's a problem. We learned this lesson early—thinking about distribution from the beginning is crucial for success in any product, but especially in pet care where people need immediate, accessible support.

7. Has inspiration from another industry influenced your approach?

Absolutely. I look extensively at what companies are doing in the human child space with technology. The mindset of pet parents is remarkably similar to parents of human children. I study how they're building relationships and experiences for families, then ask: can we take these ideas and apply them to the pet space? This cross-pollination has been invaluable for developing our approach to proactive, empathetic support.

8. How have you evolved Petcademy's approach over time?

Recently, we started building on proactive outreach in a new way. Historically, when we reached out to pet parents, it was through the lens of "is anything wrong?" We shifted to asking "what's going well? What's going right?" Suddenly, we started hearing amazing stories about relationships, moments, and experiences people were having with their pets. We realized that the foundation of a healthy pet-human relationship is building on positive experiences and making memories. This positions them to be more resilient when challenges arise, ultimately keeping pets and people together.

9. Looking to the future, how will Petcademy continue to lead innovation in pet care?

Our vision is about redefining what pet parent support looks like. It's not just about solving problems when they arise—it's about creating products and experiences that allow pets and humans to flourish together. We want to be the trusted resource for pet parents throughout the entire life of their pet. When unpredictable moments come up, they should have someone they can text quickly, get advice, feel confident, and keep moving forward. Strong bonds are the foundation for keeping pets and parents together, and that's what excites me most about our future.