SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR PETS!

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM
The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. — Cici confesses on her Web page that she likes to greet everyone by licking their feet. Dolce admits to being a mama's boy. And Jake and Tycho posted a video that chronicles their adventures of rolling around on their backs.

It's not on Facebook or MySpace, but the canine equivalent: Doggyspace.com.

A cross between MySpace and YouTube, Doggyspace allows dog owners from throughout the world to create profiles and share photos and videos of their pups.

The Virginia-based site is part of a growing trend of niche, or content-focused social-networking sites that target interest groups aiming to connect with like-minded people.

"It's not so much social networking, it's having a social experience around things that we care about, so pets are just such a great example of that," said Fred Stutzman, an Internet researcher at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Stutzman said many people are using more general social-networking sites but signing up for sites such as Doggyspace that offer a more focused experience.

Since launching in mid-July, Doggyspace has logged more than 700 registered, active-user profiles, 73 percent created by females, said Levi Thornton, founder of the site and president of Web development firm Mad Frog Productions in Fredericksburg, Va. He projected that Doggyspace will have more than 2 million accounts by the end of the year.

Standard accounts for the site are free, Doggyspace plans to offer premium accounts for a small fee that will give users extra features. A portion of that fee will go to an animal charity of the members' choice.

Thornton, 30 — who has a Yorkie, Nokie, and a pit bull, Ein — said the site is a place for pet owners to share stories or learn about a breed. It can also help people form friendships based on a love of dogs or connect people interested in finding a play date for their dog.

Connie Mandrozos found the site while searching for information for her golden retriever, Boomer, 12, who has cancer. She received support from other dog owners with similar experiences and some told her they "have their paws crossed" for Boomer.

Mandrozos, 36, ended up spending more time on the site, creating profiles for Boomer and his "sisters": a pit-bull mix, Darla, and another mixed-breed, Violet.

"It's been a goofy thing to do at the end of the day when you get home from work and you just want to talk to somebody in your dog's voice and say, 'Hey, how was your day? Woof,' " said Mandrozos, of Bridgeport, Conn., who sometimes uses her dogs in her job as a behaviorist.