Lost pets are an an epidemic, not a day goes by that we do receive a message, or come across an appeal for help to find a lost pet or neighbourhood cat or dog. Scroll through social media, and you’ll find desperate appeals of lost or stolen dogs. Social media has become our go to help center, for every life situation, in spite of its obvious limitations.
Frantically forwarding messages on Facebook, or What’sApp is not an efficient or logical way to find a lost pet or person. Taking the guesswork out of any situation improves your chances of success, which holds true for business, life and especially locating a lost pet or person. Let’s get to why you’ve started reading this diatribe and how its going to help you. It’s going to tell you how to take the “maybe” out of any pet parents worst nightmare- a lost dog.
India has an estimated 290 million smartphone users, so technology driven pet care is a logical conclusion. So why are most pet parents wary of technology for their pets. Perhaps the most amusing question we are asked is – “Is there any harmful radiation from the device?” A valid question if you are concerned about the health of your cat or dog. Let me answer your question with a question- “does your home have 24 x7 wifi ?” of “do you walk your dog with your cell phone in your pocket?” Tractive GPS is one of the 4 Best Dog trackers on the market. https://www.bustle.com/p/the-4-best-dog-gps-trackers-16990563
What are Pet GPS trackers and why do we need them?
Start with the why- to find, trace and bring home lost or stolen pets. We’ve changed the way we interact with each other and our animals. We live in an app driven world, there’s an app for everything, from ordering your groceries, to solving your child’s math problems, and now there’s an app to find your lost pets.
Tractive’s app as seen here displays your location i.e User Location, and Tracker location (will be your pets name) The app allows multiple logins, so your entire family can keep track of your pets.
As a society of pet parents, we’ve brought our pets into the fold, at every aspect of our lives. We don’t just live with our pets, we travel with them, take them to the park, have parks dedicated to them, days dedicated to them and now, spas and salons! Pet centric holidays are common with an increasing number of hotels, home stays and vacation destinations realising the rising demand for pet friendly resorts.
So, for all that pampering, why do pet parents still think twice about the use of technology to stay connected to their pets 24 x 7? A GPS tracker is an essential tool for the care and safety of any animal.
Think about it, your pet dedicated travel company has attended to every detail of your holiday with your dog. You’ve got the tickets, the reservations, the destination… the date of departure arrives and off you go. You arrive at your quaint destination rolling hills, or sunny beaches- freedom for you and your dog! Remember the old saying, with freedom comes responsibility. Get a tracking device to make sure it is on your dog for the duration of your trip and your four legged friend is on 24 hour live tracking at your fingertips. The tracker does not rely on wifi and has a two day battery life. Since it relies on cellular network you can view your dog or cat even when they are out of wifi range.
With a subscription fee less than your monthly mobile bill, it is a small price to pay for your furry friend to be safe. As a pet owner, you are spending more time away from home and are increasingly dependent on third parties and services to help care for your pets.
The Nuclear Family & Dog Walkers
The nuclear family has brought with it, the nuclear pet parent. Support systems are sometimes scarce and we look outward for help. Dog walkers are the new pet industry must haves. Dog walker culture, if there is such a term, has taken center stage in the care of urban pets. Please make sure you only hire a dog walker with impeccable references. Ask pet parents about their experiences with a particular walker, carefully observe your dog’s body language when he/she has to leave the house for a walk.
When a dog is reluctant to leave the house, it is not always the sign of a lazy dog. That is how dogs communicate fear. When dog walkers, hit, pull and man handle a dog, the dog grows fearful of walk time, or shows signs of aggression. GPS tracking allows you to follow your dog walker, it is incontrovertible evidence of the path they take and the time they spend sitting on the roadside.
How does a GPS tracker help me if I have a dog walker?
Remotely follow your dog walker. The Tractive app allows a user to set up multiple safe zones, so when your dog walker leaves the designated area with your dog, you receive an alert. Dogs may run away from dog walkers who ill treat them, if that happens, you can trace your dog. Pet theft, aided or unaided by dog walkers is on the rise, it seems unthinkable that when your dog leaves the house for a walk, chances are he or she will never come home.
NGO’s, Fosters and Runaway Animals
Now if you are a rescuer, or foster family you’re probably reading this and thinking, why do I need a GPS tracking device? Because it is just as easy to lose a skittish insecure animal. Rescues and foster dogs are high risk, because they’ve most likely been traumatised by an abandonment or ill treatment.
Famous examples are the Freagles of India. A fantastic initiative, which any one in their right mind will support. The danger of adopting a Freagles to a first time pet owning family are huge. Not because the family does not take precautions, it is because of the trauma the dog carries with it for months and in some cases years. The slightest trigger will cause the pet to leave (dart or run) from a perceived threat. When that happens how and where are you going to look for this lost dog? Pet tracking is the answer. For the organisations carrying out these vital services to the animal community of India, these pet trackers are invaluable for your current and future work.
Numerous non governmental agencies across the globe, animal shelters, and veterinary offices offer micro chipping services. Microchips are another layer of safety you can add to your pets arsenal. (read here what our friends at the UltimatePetHub have researched and put together on the benefits and functions of microchips)
Why are we so convinced about the benefits and uses of GPS pet trackers? Because we’ve lost pets, before this technology existed. We never found our pets, it is a loss that stays with you. Still not convinced you need to keep your pets safe? Check out this these tips from Tractive, pet safety is a global concern. https://tractive.com/blog/en/safety/missing-dog-most-common-reasons
