Rover.com, an online marketplace connecting dog owners with local dog sitters, announced a $3.4 million Series A financing. Madrona Venture Group led the round, with CrunchFund and other leading angel investors participating.

Rover.com plans to use the funding to expand its national footprint and offer its service as an alternative to kennels in every major U.S. market. Since launching in Seattle in November 2011, Rover.com has grown to over 10,000 active members in hundreds of cities across the country.

"We are incredibly excited about what the funding and an outstanding group of investors will do to further our mission of helping to provide every dog with a safe, loving home when their families are away," said Aaron Easterly, CEO of Rover.com. "The Roverlution has officially begun!"

Rover.com enables dog owners to leave their pets in a home environment with other dog lovers, including fellow owners, neighbors and professionals.

"In the past, dog owners had limited choices for dog care, and those choices weren't appealing," said Easterly, a self-described servant to a four-pound Pomeranian named Caramel. "You could board your dog in a kennel, which can be stressful for your dog and expensive, or you could rely on friends or family, which is not always convenient and can feel like an imposition. Rover.com provides dog lovers with a community of like-minded people who love to take care of dogs and more often than not are willing to do it for less money than a traditional kennel charges."

In conjunction with the funding, the company announced the national launch of Rover Barkline, which provides 24-hour customer service and an absolute satisfaction guarantee that covers the dog, the owner and the host.

"More households in the United States have a dog than have a child," said Greg Gottesman, founder of Rover.com and Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group. "Some kennels actually charge you extra if you want them to pet your dog. We think there's a better way."

About Rover.com

Rover.com is an online marketplace that connects dog owners with local dog sitters and real homes in hundreds of cities across the United States.

About Madrona Venture Group

Madrona ( www.madrona.com ) has invested in early-stage technology companies, primarily based in the Pacific Northwest, since 1995 and has been privileged to play a role in some of the region's most successful technology ventures. Madrona currently manages over $675 million and was an early investor in companies such as Amazon.com, aQuantive, Isilon Systems, Farecast.com (now Bing Travel), and ShareBuilder.

About CrunchFund

CrunchFund is an early-stage venture capital firm founded by Michael Arrington, Patrick Gallagher, and MG Siegler. The fund invests in and works with information technology companies at any stage but is primarily focused on seed and early-stage investments