Pet therapy is proven to ease stress, anxiety, and isolation—especially in clinical settings like hospitals, behavioral health facilities, and senior care. But in-person visits are often limited by staffing, scheduling, and infection control. Notenda was engaged to create a digital alternative: a virtual pet therapy app that feels personal, playful, and emotionally real.
Working closely with our client, we shaped the product vision around patient choice and emotional resonance. After choosing from a cast of real therapy dogs – each with a name, bio, and personality – users can pick from a menu of comforting actions like “play,” “treat,” “walk,” or “fetch”. Each action triggers a video clip of the chosen dog performing that interaction, creating a moment of emotional connection that mirrors in-person visits.
The result was a user-validated and simple, sensory-friendly interface that aligned with therapeutic goals. We also created a flexible architecture to support both direct-to-consumer use and enterprise deployment in clinical environments, with HIPAA-readiness and white-label customization.
Patients have praised the sense of control, familiarity, and emotional uplift. The product is now expanding to include session tracking, clinical outcome research, and integrations with digital health platforms.