Photo via http://petrecognition.com/
Did you know that once a pet has been brought into a shelter, it could be a short 72-hour wait before the shelter can euthanize your pet or adopt it out to another family?
That fact has inspired one Vancouver-based company, PiP, to tap into technology to help pet owners find their lost companions before it’s too late. PiP stands for “Positive Identification of Pet” and refers to the positive match determined by facial recognition technology between a photo of a registered pet and a photo of a found pet uploaded into the system.
According to the PiP website, the phone app works like an Amber Alert does for lost children. The app also comes with a customer care staff:
In the moment you realize your pet is missing, personalized care to help guide you through the search process is critical. When you activate PiP’s Amber Alert System, a PiP Customer Care Representative contacts you to listen, offer support and identify PiP’s immediate response. PiP will also provide updates of the progress being made in finding your lost pet.
Social media like Facebook, Twitter and more are also key in the search. Users who activate PiP’s Amber Alert System will broadcast an immediate notification of a lost pet to veterinarians, animal control and rescue agencies, PiP subscribers, and social media users within the pet owner’s local area. The subscription service is set to launch on November 5th. The phone app is a free download for all Smartphone users, first for iPhone and eventually for Android. Pet owners who wish to register their pet will pay an annual fee of about $1.49 per month. Check out their site here.