A PASSIONATE dog owner who moved to the South Lakes last year has launched a 'social network' for canine lovers.

MuttMate, run by Sarah Edwards from New Hutton, enables owners to connect and find each other for new friendships, social events and dog-related news within their local area.

Owners can create and manage shared-interest 'MuttClubs', inviting others to join and attend local meet-ups.

"Owning a dog is very social and daily walks inevitably involve both dogs and owners stopping to greet each other," explains Sarah.

"MuttMate.com is more than just another social media site. It recognises that relevant, useful interactions amongst dog owners occur offline within the community and offers a practical, online solution

to enhance these connections and help grow strong networks of happy dogs and owners."

The project started as a 'niggle' over three years ago when Sarah, who owns a Hungarian Vizsla and a King Charles, felt that online social media did nothing to help local owners connect with one another within their area.

"I'm the owner of a Hungarian Vizsla which was quite a rare breed several years ago," Sarah describes. "It was exciting to bump into other Vizslas. We would always stop to chat about the breed, swapping

anecdotes and titbits that only fellow dog owners would understand. More often than not these encounters would be fleeting with maybe the odd exchange of contact numbers. I realized that dog owners needed a functional, useful tool enabling permanent connections for the benefit of dogs and owners alike.

"Most importantly it would have to have geographical relevance at a grassroots level to work and stand out from the social media crowd."

From breed clubs to walking groups, MuttMate offers dog owners the opportunity to indulge their doggy obsession and grow their canine community.

Owners can also manage 'Pack' events and personal reminders to ensure they never forget to worm their dog or miss his monthly cut and blow.

A Kendal-based development team implemented the final build stages and Sarah says she is keen to promote the site as a Cumbrian start-up, with its 'paws' firmly planted between the fells and valleys she now calls home.