App Review: WoofTrax

My daily walks always do me a whole lot of good.  They make me stronger and healthier and happier—and an all-around better person.  But I’m all for sharing the love and making my walks benefit others, too—which is why I downloaded the Woof Trax app as soon as my walking buddy Lynne told me about it.

The concept is pretty simple: every time you take your dog out for a walk, you get credit that earns money for an animal charity of your choice.  Just pull up the app, select your dog, and start walking.  Click Finish when you’re done, and you’ve earned 10 points for your favorite charity.

Don’t have a dog?  That’s okay.  I don’t either.  My husband has some crazy animal allergies, much to my animal-loving daughter’s great dismay.  Fortunately, there’s also an option to walk with an adorable virtual pup named Lexi and still get the same credit.

Unfortunately, since the app wants to encourage dog owners to walk their pets multiple times each day, credits are earned by walk—not by distance.  So if you walk the minimum of .25 miles or a half marathon, you’ll get the same credit. 

Also, there’s no information on the website or on the app about the amount of money that goes to charity for each walk.  I reached out to the company by email to ask for more information and have yet to get an answer, but a walking buddy who just happens to volunteer for the shelter attached to my account says that they do, in fact, get money from the app—and it appears to be around $1 per walk.  So whether you’re out getting your steps each day with your favorite pup—or you just love animals and want to use your walks to do some good—Woof Trax is an easy way to help some furry friends while getting in those miles.

Pros:
– Free app
– Easy to use
– You don’t have to have a dog to participate
– Lets you use your daily walks to do some good

Cons:
– Points are given per walk—not per mile
– Website isn’t very transparent about the details