Apptika Inc. Introduces Dog Parks Locator App for iPhone/iPad/iTouch

Los Angeles, CA—June 2010—In the Apple iTunes Store now! Thanks to the introduction of a new dog park locator app, dog owners in California, New York and Wisconsin can now easily locate dog-friendly parks, beaches and trails using their iPhone, iPad or iTouch. (Additional states will be available later this summer.)

What separates Apptika’s Dog Parks Locator app from all the others is the authoritative source information within the app which comes directly from municipal, county, state and federal government agencies. “If you have ever relied on an app with user-provided content and reviews, then you have likely experienced incomplete, contradictory, or just plain wrong information,” explains Mike Rose, one of the partner/developers in Apptika, Inc. “With Apptika’s Dog Parks Locator app, if there is ever any question about what is going on at a particular park, beach or trail, we have included the municipal, county, state or federal government agency Web site and telephone contact information.”

Apptika’s Dog Parks Locator app provides an up-to-date and accurate listing of dog-friendly parks, beaches and trails with:

• Address
• Amenities such as water, shade, benches, fenced
• Hours of operation
• Leash law requirements
• Handicap access
• Parking (fee or free)
• Phone contact information
• Municipal, county, state or federal governing agency Web site address and phone
• Ability to save to Favorites

A Special Information section includes details, when available, such as whether there is a fenced small/frail dog area, the park size, prohibited times or areas, foxtail alerts, etc.

The app has a built-in interactive map that utilizes geolocation to:

• Locate the closest dog parks to your location
• Browse an entire county or metropolitan area
• Get turn-by-turn directions

Apple, Inc. was so impressed with Apptika’s Dog Park Locator app that they featured it in their top spot of their iTunes Store New and Noteworthy: Travel Category during June 2010.
— Top spot in New and Noteworthy, Travel Category, June 2010
Source: Apple iTunes Store

Apptika’s Dog Parks apps have become so popular across the U.S. that within a few weeks of the apps being released, they have soared to the “top 50” rank for travel apps in the iTunes Store.
— Three of the Top 50 U.S. Travel Apps for iPad, June 2010
Source: Apple iTunes Store

“This is a gift that you can give your dog and yourself. It will provide an endless supply of great dog-friendly parks, beaches and trails to enjoy with your dog,” says Greg Garten, another partner/developer in Apptika, Inc. “Going to new locales, especially dog-friendly beaches, and meeting new dogs, is something Tika loves to do.” (Tika is Garten’s chocolate lab and the company’s mascot.)

The idea for the dog parks app began when Garten was looking for new places to take Tika. When he started to explore the dog parks apps that were available online, he quickly realized there was no authoritative source of accurate dog parks information. A new business was born!

“What a fantastic app,” said Katie Merkel, Valencia, California mother of two, a half-marathoner and owner of the black lab, Bella. “We had no idea there are so many dog-friendly places to walk Bella in the Santa Clarita Valley. And since my family likes to travel, it is nice to know we can easily find state parks and beaches where Bella will be welcome.”

Apptika’s free Dog Parks Locator includes Santa Clara County (California) and the Borough of Manhattan (New York). The states of California, New York and Wisconsin are available for $4.99 each as in-app purchases within the Dog Parks Locator. The “entire state collection” (currently includes over 1,500 dog-friendly parks, beaches and trails in California, New York and Wisconsin) is $9.99. The research team is working on the states of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. These additional states will be available for individual in-app purchase within the Dog Parks Locator later this summer. All new states are automatically added to the “entire state collection” at no extra charge.

The Dog Parks Locator app is available online at the Apple iTunes Store:

iPhone app:
Dog Parks Locator – Apptika, Inc.

iPad app:
Dog Parks Locator – Apptika, Inc.

About Apptika, Inc.
Apptika, Inc. is a California-based company that develops reference and game apps for the iPhone/ iPad/.iTouch. For more information, please call (858) 964-3774 or visit Apptika.com. Links to the Dog Parks Locator app are also available from the company’s website here: http://www.apptika.com/Apps/Dog_Parks_Locator.html.