New Device Allows You To Track Lost Pets On Your Phone
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Panic is probably the only way to describe it when you realize your dog or cat is missing.
People used to have put up posters, hoping someone would find their furry friend.
Now, there's a way you can actually track your dog's whereabouts right on your smartphone.
It's called the Pet Tracker. You put the tracking device on your dog's collar and you can track them on your phone.
In addition to showing you where your dog or cat is, it can also show you whether they're getting the exercise they should.
The Airesman family of Bethel Park would hate to have their dog, Livvy, go missing.
"Oh my gosh, we wouldn't know what to do. She's a member of our family. We'd be lost without her," Jeanine Airesman said.
While Livvy appears to be content, she has made a run for it before.
So, the Aireman's seemed like the perfect family to help KDKA-TV's David Highfield test out the Tagg Pet Tracker.
After charging the device, they clipped the tracker to Livvy's collar and were ready to start the test.
John, Jillian and Highfield stayed home to see if they could chart the dog's whereabouts.
Jeanine and Johnny took Livvy for a drive.
While Livvy was out on the open road, with the wind blowing through her fur those back at the house ran into a problem, but quickly figured out that the device was not turned on.
Once it was turned on, the magic of GPS allowed them to see Livvy's location on both a phone and an iPad.
Jeanine drove to a previously undetermined location and called back to the house.
After a few seconds, the group at the house was able to pinpoint their location. They repeated the process several times and we able to track them every time.
A microchip implanted in a pet can definitely help if they happen to get lost as well, but there are some difficulties with it.
"Someone has to find your dog and turn them in somewhere, maybe the vet or maybe the pound in order for you to find your dog, where this will tell you exactly where your dog is," Jodi Poirier with Verizon Wireless said.
The Pet Tracker costs $100 for the kit and an additional $8 a month for the service through Verizon.
There are competing tracking systems as well. One is called Roameo and the other is the Garmin GTU 10.
However, the Tagg Pet Tracker is the only one that also charts how active your pet has been.
The other cool thing with the Pet Tracker is you can set up a perimeter around your home and if your dog goes outside that zone, you'll get a text message to warn you that your dog got out.
The battery life can last up to 30 days.
For more information on the Pet Tracker, click here.
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