There is a heart-stopping moment when you realise that your dog has escaped through a hole in the fence, or your cat hasn’t come home for 24 hours. Even if they are chipped, there is a distinct possibility they will still be elusive – chipping is essential, but only useful if someone manages to secure your dog and get them to a vet to have the chip read.
So what other precautions can you take to find your lost pet? With the many technological advancements on the market, a pet tracker could be for you, to save you all those missing hours that seem interminable.
So many ‘lost’ pets end up in animal shelters, and if they aren’t chipped, their owners cannot be located. Investing in a GPS tracker could prevent you from being without your pet forever. Worth considering, certainly.
With microchipping, if you lose your dog or cat, you will have to rely on it being taken to a shelter or to a vet and wait for them to call you. With a GPS tracker, you can locate where your dog is yourself, and in ‘real time’. Most trackers are sturdily built and waterproof to avoid them falling off – unlike a dog tag. Many trackers cover a long-distance service, and work similarly to any other ‘app’ that you may have on your phone or on your computer. Easy and convenient to use, they can be lifesaving. Many owners may have trailed the streets or park areas for hours trying to locate a pet, and a GPS tracker is certainly time saving and can pinpoint the area your dog is travelling in. Undeniably, it is the fastest way to find your pet, and not have to rely on friends and family to go out hunting in the wrong direction.
Whilst dogs and cats have a great deal of homing instinct, they can become disorientated and lose their way, causing them stress and anxiety, so the quicker you find them, the better it is for both of you in terms of emotional upset. A distressed pet will frequently hide themselves due to fear of the unknown, so with a tracker you can find them so much more quickly.
A GPS tracker should not be a substitute for microchipping – just a bonus of making it easier to find your pet once they go missing. Microchipping for dogs is currently a legal requirement in the UK.
Like any other technology advancement, GPS tracking systems can have problems as can any other device you own such as a smartphone or computer. Here are some other flaws that should be noted:
Research is the key. GPS trackers can range from around £45 up to £500 and cover other factors such as health tracking. Other trackers can cover up to 3 pets at a time, so you simply must decide exactly what you want and then compare brands.
As for the expense, what price do you put on your beloved pet? Surely it must be worth considering all your options for making your pet safe and sound.