MEET COTL
We see pets as someone, not something
Named after four animals who changed one life. Built for every pet who has changed someone else’s.
Cotl is named after Charlie, Odin, Thor, and Loki.
They’re not just the names of Norse gods.
Cotl (pronounced like “coddle”) is an acronym for the names of four pets who supported our CEO and founder, Sean Valle, during the most significant stages of his life.
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Meet Charlie
“She's the first animal that I felt truly attached to. That changed me by opening my eyes to how special and deep a pet’s bond can be.”
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Meet Odin
“He became this very comforting presence for me in a way I had never actually experienced before.”
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Meet Thor
“Having that presence for almost ten years has been a constant through a lot that has happened in my life… Thor just feels like home.”
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Meet Loki
“Loki was a foundational part of the formative years of me becoming my own person.”
Keeping them in our name is deeply personal. It’s also a reminder about why Cotl exists.
Every pet is someone specific. They have their own routines, relationships, preferences, fears, signals, and ways of moving through the world.
We’re building Cotl to help speak for who they are.
“Pets have been a special part of my life since I was born. I spent my childhood running around with dogs, cats, goats, chickens, turkeys… you name it!
As a practicing attorney, I help business owners with new ideas every day. When I saw a way to use my legal knowledge to help all pets, I knew I'd found my dream job.”
— Sean Valle, founder and CEO of Cotl
Cotl started with a difficult question
As Sean’s pet family grew, he became proud of the wonderful life he was building for his pets, filled with special treats, doggie daycare, a fenced yard, proactive vet care, and seven cat towers.
But he kept coming back to questions most of us try not to think about: “If something happened to me, would my pets still have this life…?”
“What happens to my pets if something happens to me?”
From planning for someday to helping with every day
Cotl started as a planning tool to answer that “what if?” Pet parents built plans for who would care for their pets if they no longer could.
The more we learned from pet parents, the more we saw that important knowledge about our pets often gets lost or confused even day to day. Since pets can’t speak for themselves, we needed to make sure someone could, no matter who’s taking care of them.
The idea grew with the pets it was built for
Cotl evolved from a planning tool into a pet care platform for the full, living knowledge behind every pet's unique life, personality, and needs. Today, pet parents can build a profile that reflects their pet and use it to create Care Notes for a sitter, family member, or anyone else their pet depends on.
The product expanded, but the responsibility behind it is still the same: help every pet be cared for like their known, no matter what.
The pet parents building Cotl
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Sean Valle
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
“The first pets that were truly mine were my goats. We would hike around the rural dirt roads where I lived, and I’d imagine we were on a grand adventure or exploration together. They taught me how irreplaceable and beautiful it is to connect to life and living things. As an adult, I’ve learned protecting that bond is my greatest sense of meaning.”
Sean leads Cotl’s overall vision, strategy, and growth, setting priorities, making key decisions, and building a company that supports pets and their people.
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Alek Darr
Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer
"I grew up with dogs, so I've never known life without a pet. They don't ask for much. A walk, a spot next to you, your attention for five minutes. And somehow that's enough to make everything else feel manageable."
Alek leads the design and development of Cotl’s product experience, making sure the platform is thoughtful, practical, and genuinely useful for pet parents and the people they trust to care for their pets.
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Jess Frischolz
Operations & Community Coordinator
“Pets love us for who we are and that’s pretty incredible. When I wake up in the morning, my cat is excited to see I’m alive! She doesn’t care about my flaws or the mistakes I’ve made. She (like all pets!) is just thrilled to spend another day with her human.”
Jess is the storyteller begin The Cotl Family newsletters. She supports brands in the health & wellness space (both pets and humans!) with copy and email marketing. Get in touch with Jess.
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Spencer Lamb
Director of Operations
“My pets bring joy, companionship, and a sense of calm to my life. They remind me to be present and appreciate the little things.”
Spencer helps with a variety of Cotl’s operations needs, helping everything run as smooth as possible.
He also helps companies like Cotl with grant writing, management, and strategy. Need help with grants? Get in touch with Spencer.
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Tyler Dawson-Arroyo
Community Growth & Insights Coordinator
“Pets offer companionship and a sense of belonging. There’s honor in providing care to the pets in my life, and it’s rewarding to receive so much love and purpose. My pets are my best friends!!”
Tyler is also a pet sitter and visual artist. Get in touch with Tyler.
Join the Cotl community!
No, you’re not the only pet parent whose pet is their favorite person.
Join the rest of us online!
Read some of The Cotl Family stories from our weekly newsletter.
Would you adopt a pet if life felt unstable? 🤔
Four former strays provide Sophie with love and stability when everything else feels uncertain.
Could you love a reptile? 🦎
Em’s childhood fascination turned into a passion… and a desire to educate others about what reptiles really need.
Would you keep a pet who was a jerk? 😼
Jack’s personality wasn’t what they had in mind… but it ended up being what they needed.
Would you plan your pet’s final day before you had to? 💭
Jenn’s end-of-life support helps pet parents become more present and content.
Do pigs belong in the house? 🐷
Carol opened her heart (and her home) to a whole new kind of pet.
Should cats be allowed in the airport? 😸
Xeli’s calming presence provides support and good vibes for those stressed travelers.
Questions about who we are
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Cotl takes its name from Charlie, Odin, Thor, and Loki, four animals connected to significant chapters of our CEO and founder Sean Valle’s life. It’s pronounced like “coddle.”
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Cotl gives you one place that reflects your pet as they actually are. Turn everything you know about your pet into a smart, living pet record. You can use that information to create Care Notes with the right details to share with a particular person or situation.
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Cotl is built by a team of pet parents, product builders, storytellers, and problem solvers led by founder Sean Valle and co-founder Alek Darr.
Our team combines experience in law, product development, operations, community building, pet sitting, and life as passionate pet parents.
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We learn from pet parents like you! We also spend a lot of time talking to people who help care for pets. Your experiences and stories help us understand what tends to be forgotten, what becomes difficult to explain, and what another person needs in order to care for your pet the way your pet deserves.
That input helps Cotl build tools around the realities of care rather than assumptions about what pet parents need.
Have feedback or an idea? Contact us.
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The Cotl Family is our newsletter about the animals who shape our lives and the people who care for them. It shares real stories, thoughtful observations, and practical ideas inspired by the details that make every relationship with an animal its own.
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No. You can use Cotl for any pet. Some current features may work best for cats and dogs. We’re building more tailored features for other species.
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Yes. We welcome stories about an animal who changed your life, a person who showed up for them, or a moment when one small detail made a meaningful difference in their care.
Use the link below to share your story with Cotl’s community team. We may follow up to learn more before considering it for The Cotl Family.
Have a question about using Cotl?
START WHERE YOU ARE
Start with one thing only you know
You don’t have to capture your pet's entire life today. Begin with one routine, preference, or small signal that matters.
