I Tried Rescue Doodles, the New Service That Matches You with Your Ideal Pup Based on a Drawing You Submit
Weirdly, this story is about a different kind of doodle. Not this kind or this kind or this kind or this kind or—my God there are so many—this kind. Instead, this new service focuses on children's drawings (aka doodles).
Launched on Wednesday, the Rescue Doodles program from Pedigree takes children's drawings of their ideal dogs and matches them to adoptable pups in the area. The program uses artificial intelligence to analyze the drawing before searching AdoptaPet.com to find available, similar-looking dogs in the area.
"This program is unique because it takes a simple, everyday activity for children—doodling—and turns it into a fun way to add a new member to the family," Jean-Paul Jansen, vice president of marketing for Mars Petcare North America, said in a news release.
The program will run until April 30. All you need is your kid's drawing and your phone to text "doodle" to (717) 670-6675. But does it really work?
Sadly, I don't have a child nearby who I can conscript for this process. I do, however, draw like one, so let's see what kind of dog Rescue Doodles picks for me.
Being an extremely allergic fellow, I tried to draw a medium-sized, fun dog who wouldn't make me sneeze and itch all the time: a goldendoodle. As you'll see below, I did a real bang-up job drawing her. I agreed to the terms and conditions, sent in my photo and zip code, and I received the adoptable dog in my area mere seconds later.
It's Charleigh! A sweet Yorkshire terrier who was rescued from a puppy mill in 2020. She's being cared for by Revolution Rescue in Lincoln, Neb., just a couple hours away from where I live.
So does Rescue Doodles work? I say yes. It didn't get the breed I was looking for, but Charliegh is nearby, a good dog for allergy sufferers, and her fur colors resemble what I drew. It wasn't completely accurate, but we should all consider adopting dogs who might not resemble what we "want."
Plus, my drawing was awful! I didn't realize until I'd already submitted it that I'd forgotten to give my dog ears.
Maybe this is your sign to adopt Charleigh. The 7-year-old pup has had some health problems (tumors), but she's now healthy enough for a forever home. She's a little shy and nervous, but she likes to cuddle and curl up on the couch and play with her squeaky toys. She sure sounds great to us.