Herbert Smith Freehills advises Rover on acquisition of Gudog

The London Financial Sponsors practice of leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Rover Group, Inc. (Rover) on the acquisition of Gudog.

Founded in 2011 and based in Seattle, Washington, Rover is the world’s largest online marketplace for loving pet care. Rover’s global footprint includes North America (US and Canada) and Europe, including the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and now Denmark and Ireland. Rover connects pet parents with pet care providers who offer overnight services, including boarding and in-home pet sitting, as well as daytime services, including doggy daycare, dog walking, and drop-in visits.

Gudog is a European-based dog sitting and walking platform founded in 2015, with a community that spans eight European countries with over one million days of services booked to date, and a network of 20,000 dog sitters and walkers.

The Herbert Smith Freehills team was led by Financial Sponsors partner Joseph Dennis and associates Raul Vellani and Darius White, and supported on tax matters by partner Casey Dalton and senior associate James Tryfonos.

Associate Raul Vellani commented: "We are very pleased to have advised Rover on their acquisition of Gudog and to support their further expansion into Europe."

Partner Joseph Dennis added: "It is always a pleasure working with the Rover team and we take great pride in the opportunity to have been a trusted adviser on this acquisition. Congratulations to the Rover team!"

Herbert Smith Freehills previously advised Rover on its acquisition of Cat in a Flat Limited, an online cat-sitting platform with operations across the UK and Europe, in 2024