diff --git a/api/validPetPoses.js b/api/validPetPoses.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..027caea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/validPetPoses.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import getValidPetPoses from "../src/server/getValidPetPoses";
+
+export default async (req, res) => {
+  const buffer = await getValidPetPoses();
+  res.status(200).send(buffer);
+};
diff --git a/src/server/__snapshots__/getValidPetPoses.test.js.snap b/src/server/__snapshots__/getValidPetPoses.test.js.snap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..67045ae
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/server/__snapshots__/getValidPetPoses.test.js.snap differ
diff --git a/src/server/getValidPetPoses.js b/src/server/getValidPetPoses.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e17e09c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/server/getValidPetPoses.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import connectToDb from "./db";
+
+import { getEmotion, getGenderPresentation } from "./util";
+
+export default async function getValidPetPoses() {
+  const db = await connectToDb();
+
+  const numSpeciesPromise = getNumSpecies(db);
+  const numColorsPromise = getNumColors(db);
+  const poseTuplesPromise = getPoseTuples(db);
+
+  const [numSpecies, numColors, poseTuples] = await Promise.all([
+    numSpeciesPromise,
+    numColorsPromise,
+    poseTuplesPromise,
+  ]);
+
+  const poseStrs = new Set();
+  for (const poseTuple of poseTuples) {
+    const { species_id, color_id, mood_id, female } = poseTuple;
+    const emotion = getEmotion(mood_id);
+    const genderPresentation = getGenderPresentation(female);
+    const poseStr = `${species_id}-${color_id}-${emotion}-${genderPresentation}`;
+    poseStrs.add(poseStr);
+  }
+
+  function hasPose(speciesId, colorId, emotion, genderPresentation) {
+    const poseStr = `${speciesId}-${colorId}-${emotion}-${genderPresentation}`;
+    return poseStrs.has(poseStr);
+  }
+
+  const numPairs = numSpecies * numColors;
+  const buffer = Buffer.alloc(numPairs);
+
+  for (let speciesId = 1; speciesId <= numSpecies; speciesId++) {
+    for (let colorId = 1; colorId <= numColors; colorId++) {
+      let byte = 0;
+      byte += hasPose(speciesId, colorId, "HAPPY", "MASCULINE") ? 1 : 0;
+      byte <<= 1;
+      byte += hasPose(speciesId, colorId, "SAD", "MASCULINE") ? 1 : 0;
+      byte <<= 1;
+      byte += hasPose(speciesId, colorId, "SICK", "MASCULINE") ? 1 : 0;
+      byte <<= 1;
+      byte += hasPose(speciesId, colorId, "HAPPY", "FEMININE") ? 1 : 0;
+      byte <<= 1;
+      byte += hasPose(speciesId, colorId, "SAD", "FEMININE") ? 1 : 0;
+      byte <<= 1;
+      byte += hasPose(speciesId, colorId, "SICK", "FEMININE") ? 1 : 0;
+
+      buffer.writeUInt8(byte);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return buffer;
+}
+
+async function getNumSpecies(db) {
+  const [rows, _] = await db.query(`SELECT count(*) FROM species`);
+  return rows[0]["count(*)"];
+}
+
+async function getNumColors(db) {
+  const [rows, _] = await db.query(`SELECT count(*) FROM colors`);
+  return rows[0]["count(*)"];
+}
+
+async function getPoseTuples(db) {
+  const [rows, _] = await db.query(`
+    SELECT DISTINCT species_id, color_id, mood_id, female FROM pet_states
+    INNER JOIN pet_types ON pet_types.id = pet_states.pet_type_id
+    WHERE mood_id IS NOT NULL AND female IS NOT NULL AND color_id >= 1`);
+  return rows;
+}
diff --git a/src/server/getValidPetPoses.test.js b/src/server/getValidPetPoses.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18ee109
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/server/getValidPetPoses.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import getValidPetPoses from "./getValidPetPoses";
+
+describe("getValidPetPoses", () => {
+  it("gets them and writes them to a buffer", async () => {
+    const buffer = await getValidPetPoses();
+    expect(buffer.toString()).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/server/util.js b/src/server/util.js
index ef692ea..88f95d1 100644
--- a/src/server/util.js
+++ b/src/server/util.js
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@ function capitalize(str) {
 }
 
 function getEmotion(moodId) {
-  if (moodId === "1") {
+  const moodIdStr = String(moodId);
+  if (moodIdStr === "1") {
     return "HAPPY";
-  } else if (moodId === "2") {
+  } else if (moodIdStr === "2") {
     return "SAD";
-  } else if (moodId === "4") {
+  } else if (moodIdStr === "4") {
     return "SICK";
-  } else if (moodId === null) {
+  } else if (moodIdStr === null) {
     return null;
   } else {
     throw new Error(`unrecognized moodId ${JSON.stringify(moodId)}`);
@@ -17,9 +18,10 @@ function getEmotion(moodId) {
 }
 
 function getGenderPresentation(modelPetWasFemale) {
-  if (modelPetWasFemale === 1) {
+  const modelPetWasFemaleStr = String(modelPetWasFemale);
+  if (modelPetWasFemaleStr === "1") {
     return "FEMININE";
-  } else if (modelPetWasFemale === 0) {
+  } else if (modelPetWasFemaleStr === "0") {
     return "MASCULINE";
   } else {
     return null;