The Dog Behind It All
Meet Cinco
Every product has an origin story. Ours has four legs, a wagging tail, and a serious case of the zoomies. This is Cinco's story — and how he inspired Barkhaus.
A Rescue Dog Who Changed Everything
Cinco came into our lives through a local rescue organization. The adoption process was a mess of paper forms, unreturned emails, and a website that looked like it hadn't been updated since 2008. We almost gave up.
But Cinco made it worth it. And watching the rescue scramble to manage everything with spreadsheets and email threads planted a seed: what if shelters had better tools?
From Frustration to a Platform
After bringing Cinco home, we went back to the rescue and asked: "What do you actually need?" The answer was everything — a website, an intake system, a way to post on social media without it taking half a day.
We built the first version of Barkhaus in a spare bedroom. Cinco supervised from the couch.
"Every dog deserves a second chance. Every rescue deserves tools that actually work."
— The team at Barkhaus
Cinco Today
Cinco is doing great. He's six years old now, slightly less enthusiastic about mornings than he used to be, and absolutely convinced that he's a lap dog despite weighing 65 pounds.
He's also the unofficial mascot of Barkhaus. Every product decision we make, we ask: would this have made adopting Cinco easier? If yes, it ships.
Help More Dogs Find Their Cinco Moment
Give your rescue the tools to connect every animal with a loving home.