The henlo journey all started three years ago when Louay Malas, Founder & CEO and his wife Dina adopted an adorable shih tzu and named her Gucci! After welcoming Gucci into their lives, Traveling together became quite difficult, as they didn’t want to leave her behind in a kennel.
“After speaking to our pet parent friends, we discovered that they too felt guilty for spending time away from their pet, either at work or out of town. Kennels tend to be expensive, pets are left in cages, and away from a home environment they don’t get anywhere near the love & affection they crave.” Louay Malas.
Luckily for Louay & Dina they had a neighbor who offered to pet sit with the space and time needed to dedicate to looking after their four-legged family member (it also worked out much cheaper) – It was a perfect match!
“Suddenly the thought hit me; what if I can develop a platform that connects pet owners with pet carers, while at the same time give the owner the feeling that they’ve never missed a moment away from their pet? The concept was born!” Louay Malas.
Excited by the concept, Louay & Dina agreed on the brand name henlo (doggy lingo for hello) and began the app development process.
henlo aims to revolutionize the way pet care is done; simply because all pets deserve the best!
We recently talked to Founder & CEO Mr Louay Malas to know more…
What services are you providing?
We provide services for both pet owners & pet carers. There are two apps: one for pet owners, called henlo and one for pet carers called henlo Carer.
The pet owner app aims to become the one stop app for all pet owners – Have a pet? You need to have henlo! The App provides on demand services like tracked dog walks & pet sitting, there is even an option to book an appointment at your local vet!
Pet owners sign up, add their pet and select the services they want. For henlo on demand services, pet owners instantly get connected to a nearby verified Carer. Pet owners have the option to meet their potential Carer ahead of time, so they feel comfortable with who is taking care of their pet. They are able to track their dog walks, get instant update notifications (like your dog just peed!), and at the end of the service, even receive a pet report of that they can save and share.
For veterinary bookings pet owners can schedule, pay, and manage their pets’ appointments in real-time through the henlo app saving pet owners the time of having to make a call to their vet.
All payments are managed and done through the henlo app and transferred only once a service is complete, to ensure pet owners are satisfied with the 5-star care their pets deserve.
For the henlo Carer app, applications are open to animal lovers over 18yrs, however, all Carers undergo a verification and background check before they can offer services. The sign up process is very simple and once verified Carers can choose which paid services they would like to provide whether it is dog walking, pet boarding, or both. Carers can monitor & manage all their received payments via the app and have the option to earn whenever they want by going online and offline as they wish.
What makes Henlo different?
henlo is the first 5 star pet services app in the Kingdom of Bahrain that allows pet owners to book on demand dog walking, pet sitting with verified carers and veterinary services! Pet owners don’t have to worry about leaving their pets for long periods of time when they have access to the henlo app. Unlike kennels, booking pet services through the henlo app means your fur babies will be one-to-one with our Carers on walks and in a home environment when boarding. This intimate & tailored service is also more cost effective than a regular kennel!
How do you maintain the quality of the services you are providing? What are the qualifications required for pet carers?
All henlo carers undergo a verification and background check before they are able to provide services. Pet owners are able to rate their carer based on their experience & overall service, this helps us to monitor and coach our Carers to deliver the 5 star service we expect and that the pets deserve.
What are your plans for the next year?
In the months to come, henlo aims to add additional services to the app, to make sure everything your pet could ever need, is found in a single app and at the touch of a button.
The launch of the Android version of the app is also due to be launched while also commence with our expansion plans within the GCC and MENA regions – We’re here to make it right, for everyone’s pet!