Posted: November 17th, 2009 - 10:54pm by Doug Powell

Oh John Cusack and Diane Lane; you were both so cute in the 2005 romantic comedy, Must Love Dogs.

And that’s why Jodie O'Brien and her husband, Tom, started www.lovemelovemypet.com.au, a dating website for a particularly niche clientele.

"We started to notice over the years that a lot of our friends are really intelligent, good looking people, easy to get along with. But they're having trouble finding a partner simply because they themselves might be big dog lovers and they can't find someone with the same passion for animals as them. Sometimes it has come down to that making a difference.:

Match-making for animal enthusiasts is just the latest service in Australia's booming pet industry, which, in recent years has expanded from pet shops and pooch salons to doggy daycare facilities, dog sports training, pet portraits and even pet psychics.

With around 65 per cent of Australian households owning at least one pet, Sydney dog-owner Brittney Smith recognised the large market for her website, dogtree.com.au, which she set up earlier this year.

Described by many as Facebook for dogs, dogtree.com.au is a social networking site where owners can set up backyard playdates for their cuddly companions, instead of leaving them unsupervised to cause havoc at home.