When a Pet Goes Missing
If you love pets, then you know there is nothing as heartbreaking as missing-pet flyers. It is usually frustrating for pet parents to search for their missing pets. So, how do you track down your cat when it goes missing?
Thanks to technological innovations searching for your lost pet has become a lot easier. Not that you can give your furry friend a cell phone to track it down when it goes on an adventure. In this post, you will learn about the top five missing pet apps that can help you find your lost pet. Read on to discover more.
The Best Missing Pet Apps
Mobile phones have become a critical gadget in human life. There are mobile apps that help humans in many activities. Fortunately for pet owners, there are apps for finding missing pets. However, not all solutions are effective.
It would be frustrating for you to use an ineffective app to track down your lost cat. This review ensures that you don’t fall into such a predicament by revealing five of the best missing pet apps.
The apps reviewed here work best in different scenarios. Find the one that would suit your environment best. Let’s dig in!
Shadow
Platforms: iOS and Android
The app combines technology and volunteer efforts to reunite pet parents with their lost pets. A pet owner, Brad’s awful experience, conceived the idea of the app. His dog, Shadow, went missing, and he was not sure how to find it.
Shadow was found 39 days later after a search party that comprised of the whole community. From that day, Brad vowed to help other pet parents reunite with their lost pets too. This is how the idea of teaming up community and technology to track down missing pets came into being.
How Shadow Works
- The Pet owner reports the location from which the pet went missing or was found. If your location is not correct, the app’s support team can help you update it.
- The app establishes a radius that finds dogs in proximity for the pet parents to review.
- It also searches for any animal shelter or rescues nearby to make the search easier.
- If your pet goes missing, post its picture on the community. On the other hand, if you come across a lost dog, you post its image on the app.
- App users can get a customized step-by-step plan of action. You can also get a personalized street flyer that you can download and print.
- The community helps in tracking down all lost pets. They browse through the photo matches and send any leads when they see a possible match. The community of pet lovers can also help you hang flyers and sharing them among their network of friends.
- The app can also send free Dog Amber Alerts to your family members and friends.
- The app ensures your privacy by using a different number on the flyers. It then connects your number to the unknown number.
PawBoost
Platforms: iOS and Android
The PawBoost App makes it easy to view reports and share lost and found pets. App users can choose to get notifications when a pet in their region is lost or found and get in touch with the owners or pet finders with useful information.
The app relies on the power of social media (Facebook) to help pet owners find a pet that has gone missing. You might have to spend some money to have a targeted Facebook ad campaign to boost your search.
How PawBoost Works
The app uses a three-step system to reunite pet parents with their lost pets. Post>>Promote>>Reunite.
Post
When your pet goes missing or when you encounter a lost pet, you can use three channels to post this information:
- Facebook page run by PawBoost.
- Send an alert to the local Rescue Squad members via email.
- Add the pet to the lost and found in the app.
Promote
If you want your lost pet alert to get more exposure, take advantage of Facebook’s powerful ad platform. Promote your missing pet alert on Facebook.
You can also print a missing pet flyer to post in your community and notify other PawBoost users.
Reunite
With the full force of the PawBoost community behind the search, you will be reunited with your lost pet sooner.
Finding Rover
Platforms: iOS and Android
The Finding Rover app uses facial recognition search technology to reunite lost pets with their families. Pet owners have to register their pets on the app so that finding them is a lot easier when they get lost. To register your pet, you will provide the following information:
- Upload pet’s photo to be used by the photo recognition feature.
- Provide your pet’s name, gender, primary breed, and age.
- State whether your pet is vaccinated or is microchipped.
- Provide your details, including name, email, and zip code.
With this information, it is easier to reunite you with your found dog. The app is effective, according to Rover.com reviews, which are all positive.
How Finding Rover Works
- Pet parents have to register their pets on the app.
- If your pet goes missing, visit the app’s “Lost A Pet” section and browse through the “Found Pet” pictures.
- You can apply filters to narrow down your search. The criteria you can use to narrow down your search include gender, age, and species.
- Alternatively, you can use the “Facial Search” functionality by uploading your pet’s image. The face recognition app functionality makes the search effortless.
- If you find a missing cat, you can upload its picture on the “Found A Pet” section of the app.
Next Door Pet Directory
Platforms: Android
Next Door Pet Directory believes that when neighbors come together, they can promote a kinder world where people live in neighborhoods they can depend on. The app brings together neighbors and everything in their locality.
With this app, neighbors can create a directory of all the pets in their neighborhood. In the Pet Directory, the pet parents can upload pictures of their pets and include their descriptions and other identifying features.
This information builds a comprehensive hub for the neighborhood to know other pet parents. It becomes a valuable resource whenever your furry friend slips under the fence. Your neighbors will help you find a dog that has gone missing.
How Next Door Pet Directory Works
- Neighborhood members add their pet information to the Pet Directory. The information to upload includes your pet’s name, photo, type, color, breed, and size.
- The app shares information about your pet with members of the community.
- Neighbors can recognize their neighbor’s pets and are better placed to help in the time of need.
- You can now rest assured that neighbors who find your lost kitties can browse through the Nextdoor Pet Directory and reach out to the parents through the app.
- The app also partners with Rover.com, a five-star resource for pet walkers and sitters. When you add your pet to the Pet Directory, you get credit to Rover toward a walker or sitter of your choice.
Whistlepet GPS Pet Tracker
Platforms: iOS Android
Whistlepet GPS Pet Tracker is available in newer models known as Whistle Go Explore and Whistle Go. It is a top-of-the-range pet health and location tracker. The dog finder works in conjunction with a mobile application.
The app will help pet owners to know more about their furry friends and feel closer to them. It would be best if you fit your pet with the pet tracker to use the app effectively.
How the Whistlepet GPS Tracker App works
- The app alerts you whenever your pets move out of the designated safe place.
- In case your dog goes missing, you will find it within seconds using this app. This pet finder tracks your dog using GPS, cellular service, and Wi-Fi.
- The app allows you to set several safe zones for your pet. They could include your home, office, or any other dog-friendly spot with an enhanced ability to set boundaries. Wi-Fi connection is highly recommended.
Key Summary and Highlights
Pet parents would do anything in their power to be reunited with their missing pets. From this missing pet apps review, it is evident that the love for pets remains the critical requirement for locating lost pets. Read our article and find out Our Top Picks for the Best Cat GPS Tracker.
Technology has made it a lot easier in terms of bringing local communities together. It also plays a crucial role in tracking the pets and spreading the amber alert. Facial recognition search also quickens the process of browsing through the pet finder databases.
Enough said. The biggest lesson for pet parents is that their love for their furry friends can bring them together. Furthermore, their coming together is the key to ensuring that they track down their lost cat or dog when it goes missing. So, out of the five, which one do you love most?
