For immediate release

Australia's leading dog-sharing platform introduces Groups — a free, moderated feature connecting local dog communities through its mobile app, with no ads, no noise and real expertise built in.

Melbourne, Victoria, November 2026

Dogshare, the community-led platform that brings together dog owners and dog lovers across Australia, today announced the launch of Groups on its mobile app. Dogshare serves two distinct communities: dog owners looking to connect with one another, and Helpers — non-dog owners who volunteer their time, completely free of charge, for the chance to become a regular fixture in a local dog's life. The new feature brings together local communities of dog people in a space designed from the ground up to be safe, genuine and free from the clutter that has made alternative platforms increasingly frustrating to use.

Groups launches with a curated selection of location-based and breed-based communities, starting with Dog Lovers of Melbourne and Dog Lovers of Sydney. Membership is open to all Dogshare app users at no cost.

"Anyone who has tried to run a dog community on Facebook knows how it goes — it starts well, then the ads creep in, the algorithm buries the good stuff, and the whole thing gets harder to manage. We wanted to offer something different. A space that belongs to the community, not to an advertising platform."

Jessica, Founder, Dogshare

Starting small, done right

Rather than opening Groups to all comers at once, Dogshare is taking a deliberately measured approach. Each group launches under the moderation of Harry, Dogshare's in-house Community Manager, who will keep the conversation positive, helpful and on-topic. The goal is to get the experience right before scaling.

"Moderation matters enormously in community spaces," said Janson. "We've seen what happens when it's an afterthought. We're starting with a small number of groups, moderating them ourselves, and doing this properly. Over time we're genuinely excited about the possibility of passionate community members stepping into moderation roles themselves — that's how healthy communities grow."

Expert voices, local conversations

One of the standout elements of Groups is the involvement of guest trainers and industry experts. Dogshare has partnered with a number of professional dog trainers who will make regular appearances across the groups, sharing knowledge, answering questions and contributing to discussions in real time. For experts, Groups offers a direct line to their local community. For members, it means access to genuinely useful, credentialled advice within the same space where they're already connecting.

"There's something really exciting about a trainer from the Inner West being able to have a conversation with dog owners from their own neighbourhood in real time," said Janson. "Groups opens up new ways for industry professionals and community members to find each other and share knowledge. We think that's something worth building carefully."

"Groups is free, it's moderated, there are no ads, and you can leave at any time. We just want people to connect."

Harry, Community Manager, Dogshare

Available now on the Dogshare App

Groups is available immediately as a free feature within the Dogshare App, the members' companion to the Dogshare website. The app is available on Android and iOS. Dogshare members can find and join their local group directly from the app.

Members who prefer to manage their notification settings can toggle group activity notifications on or off independently of their individual message alerts — a small but considered detail for communities that get busy.

Dogshare App on iOS

Dogshare App on Android

About Dogshare

Founded in 2015 by Jessica Janson, Dogshare is Australia's community-led platform built around two goals: connecting dog owners with one another, and giving non-dog owners — known as Helpers — the opportunity to volunteer their time and become a beloved regular in a local dog's life, completely free of charge. With more than nine thousand members nationwide, Dogshare operates on a freemium subscription model and is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. The platform is accessible at dogshare.com.au and through the Dogshare App.

Media enquiries: hello@dogshare.com.au