MR HERBERT Lim's golden retriever, named Major, was his matchmaker six years ago.

While walking his dog in the Botanic Gardens, the 43-year- old professional dog trainer saw a woman – who would later become his wife – sitting with some friends at a cafe.

He felt that he needed to find a novel way to introduce himself as he wanted to impress her, and sent his dog to her table to lead her to him.

"Instead, it walked to her and never returned. I had to go and get it back, and the girl, whose name was Joleen, not only said hello, but eventually became my soul mate and the most important woman in my life," said Mr Lim.

His experience inspired him to set up dating agency Love Me Love My Dog in 2007, to matchmake dog lovers via activities such as dog-obedience classes.

His dating agency is among a few that have come up with novel dating concepts that are based on people's common interests, such as a soft spot for animals, a thirst for adventure or a love of the arts.

This makes it easier for singles meeting for the first time to break the ice and get to know one another, as they have a common topic to talk about, agencies said.

Mr Lim said: "Walk someplace alone and you're ignored. Walk the same route with your pooch by your side and people will stop and talk... If you play your cards right, your pooch can lead you to smooch!"

People attend activities with an open mind, as they want to make friends and socialise. That makes forming relationships even easier, he said.

Urban Adventure, another dating agency, organises outdoor activities such as archery and rock climbing for singles.

It is easier to interact through fun-filled social experiences, as it would allow people to get to know each other better when they laugh at each other's mistakes or help each other out, a spokesman said.

Accountant Ang Eng Ngee, 36, decided to join the agency as its activities are "adventurous and interesting", not offered by other agencies, and help her widen her circle of friends.

The Dating Loft, which usually organises sit-down lunch and dinner dates, worked with My Art Space, an art club which runs events such as art-appreciation classes, to hold a class for singles to learn to express their interpretations of music through painting.

The agency's co-founder, Ms Ada Wong, said: "We wanted to let people with similar interests come forward and get to know themselves and each other better."

Even animal-welfare group Cat Welfare Society held an Animal People Singles' Night so that pet lovers could mingle last Saturday.

Encouraged by the good turnout of about 60 people, it will arrange more such events in future, its spokesman said.

She said: "Very often, we hear from people who put their pets up for adoption about how their partners cannot get along with their pets.

"We thought, ‘Hey, getting together with a fellow animal lover would solve this'."

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