Wonderdog, a Los Angeles and New York–based preventive health platform for dogs, has launched publicly and announced $5 million in pre-seed funding led by consumer venture capital firms WndrCo and Maveron. The company combines at-home blood diagnostics measuring more than 40 biomarkers with an AI-powered health tracking app, positioning itself as the long-term health intelligence layer for dog owners who want to catch disease before symptoms appear rather than after.
The founding insight is biological: dogs are wired to conceal illness, meaning owners and veterinarians often do not detect disease until it has progressed significantly. Blood, however, reveals physiological changes long before outward symptoms emerge. Wonderdog’s chief medical officer Dr. Evan Antin cites figures that illustrate the scale of the problem: one in five dogs is hiding a disease that will affect its lifespan, dogs can lose up to 75% of kidney function before showing symptoms, and one in four will develop cancer during their lifetime. The platform is designed to create a consistent monitoring cadence that keeps owners inside the intervention window while treatment options remain viable.
The diagnostic service works through a membership model. A licensed veterinary technician visits the dog’s home to perform a blood draw—removing the stress of a clinic visit—and the sample is analyzed by Antech, one of the largest veterinary reference laboratories in the country. Results covering more than 40 biomarkers across six body systems are reviewed by a licensed veterinarian, translated into clear and actionable language and delivered through the app within three business days, with a seamless sharing option for the family’s existing vet. The standard annual membership is priced at $249 and includes one at-home collection per year; an enhanced membership at $448 includes two collections annually, building a more complete longitudinal dataset that can surface subtle trends and changes over time. The company frames the value as more than $1,000 in comprehensive diagnostics, in-home services and AI-powered insights for less than $21 per month.
The Wonderdog app serves as the ongoing intelligence layer between blood draws. It aggregates each dog’s blood testing results alongside breed, age, medical records, nutrition, medications, symptoms, activity and health events logged by the owner, creating a personalized and continuously evolving health record. The platform analyzes these inputs together, identifies emerging patterns and surfaces relevant insights, becoming more sophisticated as the dataset accumulates over a dog’s lifetime.
At the center of the app is Spark, an AI companion trained on each individual dog’s baseline and evolving health history rather than generic veterinary data. Spark is available around the clock and can flag potential issues, answer owner questions, help gut-check symptoms and support more informed decisions about when to seek veterinary care. Co-founder Patrick Riley describes Spark as developing “a deeper understanding of each dog over time,” creating a living picture of health that sits with the family every day between annual vet visits.
Wonderdog was co-founded by Jeff Safenowitz and Patrick Riley, who previously built Barkbus, the nation’s largest mobile dog grooming business, giving them direct experience operating at-home pet care services at scale. Dr. Evan Antin, a licensed veterinarian and public figure with more than 1.4 million Instagram followers and over a decade of clinical experience, serves as Chief Medical Officer. The service is currently available in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Los Angeles County, with planned expansion into Phoenix and Miami and additional markets to follow. Pet owners outside current service areas can join a waitlist at wonderdoghealth.com and receive free access to the Wonderdog app in the interim.
KEY QUOTES:
“Dogs are considered family. And yet their healthcare has lagged decades behind. Wonderdog is fixing that, with diagnostics and AI that help owners truly understand their dog’s health, catch problems earlier, and keep them living longer, healthier lives. That’s a massive opportunity, and exactly the kind of mission WndrCo is excited to back.”
Jeffrey Katzenberg, Founding Partner, WndrCo and Co-Founder, DreamWorks SKG
“Healthy dog years start with early detection, but we often find disease too late. One in five dogs is hiding a disease that will impact their lifespan. Dogs can lose up to 75% of kidney function before showing symptoms. One in four will develop cancer during their lifetime. Preventive health can catch these things–but it only works with consistent monitoring. With Wonderdog, we have an opportunity for life-saving intervention.”
Dr. Evan Antin, Chief Medical Officer, Wonderdog
“We started Wonderdog because the dogs we love can’t tell us when something’s wrong, and by the time they show it, we’ve often lost the window that matters most. Every dog deserves the benefits of proactive health monitoring, which is why our membership begins with an annual at-home blood draw that provides a comprehensive baseline of your dog’s health.”
Jeff Safenowitz, Co-Founder, Wonderdog
“Spark is designed to do more than answer questions–it develops a deeper understanding of each dog over time. By continuously building on a dog’s unique history, routines, and health information, Spark creates a living picture of health. It can surface meaningful insights, identify changes that may warrant attention, and provide pet parents with deeper context to support informed care decisions throughout a dog’s life. You see your vet once a year. Wonderdog is with you every day in between.”
Patrick Riley, Co-Founder, Wonderdog
