Joanna’s 10-year-old daughter had already canvassed the neighborhood with missing posters of their family dog Roxy. Their adorable Shiba Inu was spooked by thunder and lightning running from home into the neighborhood.
After 4 days searching with no luck, Joanna Cox said her daughter found an app and site Finding Rover – now called Petco Love Lost and uploaded a recent photo of Roxy.
Lucky for Roxy, the San Diego Department of Animal Services worker Janine Marr had begun taking photos of each animal as they arrive at the shelter. Nicely done, Janine.
What happens next is exactly why I get excited about technology that does good.
That’s when Petco Love Lost facial recognition technology kicked into action linking to a database of missing dogs.
Four hours after Roxy’s arriving at the shelter, she was being picked up and reunited with a very relieved family.
What are the best ways to find my lost dog?
Facial recognition technology works to reunite lost dogs with their families when missing dogs and found dogs are entered into the Petco Love Lost database.
As a preventative measure, you can visit Petco Love Lost and take a picture of your pooch as instructed by the site and register to keep your dog on file.
If you find a lost dog, Petco Love Lost scans the face of the found dog and narrows down the likeliness of matches to a 98% accuracy. There is also the trusty old-fashioned search by microchip ID but you need to connect scanner to pet owner for a successful reunion.
More ways to track your dog
When one of your prized possessions goes missing, a $30 Bluetooth tracker can help you find it. There are four consumer Bluetooth trackers rounding out the most popular and worthwhile devices to find missing or stolen property – including pets.
We already know that many trackers are effective. Stolen cars have been recovered with AirTag and Tile trackers. People are getting creative about where they attach them aside from keys. Personally, I use Bluetooth trackers in my wallet, car, bike, e-scooter, golf clubs, surfboard bag, travel bag, backpack, luggage, and the most important are the ones attached to our dogs.
What to look for in a tracker
You want a tracker that protects not only your dog from going missing but also your privacy. Avoid trackers that require a subscription fee for unnecessary options too.
Check out my recommendations for the best Bluetooth trackers here
Published Feb 27, 2022. Updated Jun 3, 2022
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