What Happened To The Woof Pet Rescue App From Shark Tank Season 14?

If you're a pet parent, then you know the perils of not making it home on time to feed or care for the animals that rely on you. The guilt is insurmountable when you get stuck at work for an extra hour or traffic impedes you. So imagine if you were in a scenario where you couldn't get home at all, such as a medical emergency that lands you in the hospital for days. Who would be there to ensure your furry family is fed? That was the very thought Arsy Khodabandelou had when he was almost in a car accident, and that's why he developed Woof.

The former senior manager at NBCUniversal Media came onto the "Shark Tank" stage hoping that the thought of starving puppies and kitties would tug at the heartstrings. Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec may have taken a minute to understand the concept behind Woof the pet safety app, but the dots did eventually connect as Khodabandelou shared his personal experience as a New York resident with a trio of dogs relying on him.

Despite the potentially life-saving properties of his app and Khodabandelou desperately trying to get the sharks to see the value that any concerned pet parent might see, Woof faced a number of critiques in the tank. It didn't take long into the pitch for the sharks to go on the attack, albeit quite respectfully.

Khodabandelou entered the tank enthusiastic about his "set-it and forget-it" concierge app, seeking $100,000 for 10% of the company. The pitch was clear: a subscription-based service for pet parents who fear for their four-legged children. According to the entrepreneur, a three-tier response initiates when a subscriber doesn't engage the app when their background timer ends before they get home. It starts with a call to the customer, then to an emergency contact, and then finally to local law enforcement for a wellness check.

Despite the app's good-hearted nature, O'Leary jumped out of the gate, focusing on the money. "Have you sold any of this to anybody?" he inquired. Khodabandelou confirmed that sales were made and, later in the pitch, clarified that out of over 300 users, more than 100 were paid subscribers. Unfortunately, no matter how well Khodabandelou handled himself, even at one point eliciting a "That's impressive" from O'Leary, he couldn't quite reel in a shark.

John was the first Shark out, citing concerns over the Woof name and potential copyright issues. Herjavec followed suit, not believing there would be a large enough audience that would need Woof's service, which is surprising considering he jumped at the less practical novelty G.O.A.T. Bluetooth Pet Speaker in "Shark Tank" Season 9. Though the final sharks were positive about the idea, lack of scale ultimately led them to pull out, leaving Khodabandelou with no deal.

The entrepreneur followed up his time on "Shark Tank" by trying to keep in the public eye, appearing on small podcasts like The Accidental Entrepreneur Podcast to talk about his March, 2023 "Shark Tank" appearance and Woof. During the interview, recorded the following month, Khodabandelou discussed the response he received after his episode aired, which included an outpouring of support from pet parents and other investors looking to score their own deal for Woof (none of whom he partnered with).

There has also been activity since "Shark Tank" on the business' social media accounts and on its Google Play Store and Apple App Store pages. As of November 2024, the Woof app was last updated for Android devices on June 3, 2024, and Apple devices on July 21, 2024. The last significant update came with interface improvements in February 2024. There has also been a price increase, though what it was is unclear. The Apple and Google listings show the subscription fee as $4.99 per month, but Woof's website lists $4.12 monthly for both versions. Woof did not respond to an emailed inquiry from SlashGear for clarification on pricing and several other mysteries.

On "Shark Tank," Khodabandelou said he was the only one working on Woof. Since "Shark Tank," there seems to have been some growth. According to Woof's LinkedIn page, by the third quarter of 2024, the company had at least six employees.

Though the Woof social media hasn't been updated since Q2 2024, there is nothing that suggests the app has been shut down. In fact, Khodabandelou was featured in an October 2024 article in The New York Times, in which he and his fiance, Katie Muela, discussed finding a suitable New York City home for their two dogs, Hank and Odin. The article mentions Woof and even features updated information that must have come from the entrepreneur, which lends to the notion that Khodabandelou is still behind the wheel and working on the app. (In the story, he contradicts his "Shark Tank" pitch a little, stating the idea for Woof came to him while the pair hiked along Bear Mountain north of the city rather than after he almost got into a car accident.)

While the last user review for the Woof app on Apple was in February 2024, the Google Play Store app shows reviews as recently as November 2024. Unfortunately, the latest review says, "The developer apparently has had problems implementing some of the basic functions of the app." According to that review, the user had been in touch with the developer regarding these fixes, but recent messages have gone unanswered. Since the signup feature is still available and the website is functional, though, it's safe to assume Woof is still in business.

While Woof is operational, its future is questionable. Though there have been bug fixes as recently as the fourth quarter of 2024, engagement with the app's audience has all but stopped. Inactive social media accounts are a telling sign, especially when they used to post somewhat regularly. Even Khodabandelou's social media presence has been scarce, with his LinkedIn having been updated last three months ago. His last post about Woof was about a year ago, and his second most recent from 10 months ago was a job posting for Verse, where he serves as the sales team lead.

It's difficult to say what's next for Woof when the company has remained rather tight-lipped about the app's future. Based on its low number of reviews (13 on Google and 44 on Apple), there appears to be a lack of an audience to help drive the app forward. It's possible that, along with no word from the company, using such a common word for the app's name may make it difficult for users to stumble on. With the right marketing push, though, there's still potential for Woof, as pet parents are not shy about using technology, such as pet trackers and smart collars, to keep their pets safe.