Sometimes pets get lost. They can dig under a fence, slip out of a leash, or even bolt out the door when you least expect it. Microchipping is great and has helped reunite millions of lost dogs and cats. We always recommend microchips as the first defense against separation. But there can be problems too. Chips can migrate and be hard to find. Owners can forget to update their chip information with new addresses and phone numbers.
There is a new layer of protection you can add to your pet’s security, it’s the PawPrintsID system. Using QR code tags, each pet has their own page with rescue information. You can upload your dog’s picture, and the basics like name, address, and phone number. But also, important details to help keep your pet safe like medical needs, medication and things that can make your buddy feel safe until you get there.
One of the coolest features of the PawPrintsID tag, is that the moment your dog’s PawPrintsID tag is scanned – you’ll receive a text with a Google map location and the ability to contact the person who has your pet.
Registration is easy, visit the PawPrintsID web site, upload a current photo of your pet and fill out the form with your pal’s information. Don’t forget to add your veterinarian’s name too. That page is tied to your tag number so as soon as its registered … all of the pertinent data is stored online at the site. When a finder scans your pet’s PawPrintsID tag, they will immediately have your contact information, your pet’s medical information, and you’ll get a text and an email! And the PawPrintsID system is secure, only the information you want to display is available for viewing.
The PawPrintsID system is available online and at some local retail establishments. There is a onetime cost of $39.99. To learn more, visit PawPrintsID.com.
Interestingly, the founder of this company has local roots. Doug Kline divides him time between Indiana, and right here in Sarasota. A longtime animal lover, growing up with Airedales, Doug wanted to do something to help animals.
Discovering that there were 187 million dogs and cats as pets in North America and that 1 in 3 became separated from their owners at least one time in their lives prompted him to want to learn more. He also learned that millions of pets are placed in shelters every year and nearly half are euthanized simply because their owner could not be located in a timely fashion.
Continuing his research on how information was obtained for lost pets it became apparent that micro-chipping was state-of-the-art technology at the time. But still there are issues, such as chip migration, multiple frequencies, update of owner information, the need for special equipment to scan, the time it takes to relocate the pet to a place where a scanner is available, not all shelters or vets are open 24/7/365, and that none, not one of the chips when read contained any medical information. There had to be a better way to help pets in distress. As QR technology was advancing he had this idea to make pet tags which can utilize the power of the internet to bring lost pets home faster. And the PawPrintsID system was born.
Enter Mark Hart, then a professor of information technology Purdue University in Fort Wayne. Doug needed someone with a deeper affinity for information technology to bring the idea to fruition. When Mark agreed to join the team, he was able to create the system that we have today using his imagination to add features which were not a part of the original design. He has painstakingly written and rewritten hundreds of thousands of lines of code to make the care and return of pets in distress, as easy as taking a picture.
Realizing this idea may have applications beyond dogs and cats they formed a company Forever Yours Inc. The name reminded them that everything they worked on was driven by two things:
Creatures in distress would be 1) Better cared for, and 2) Returned as quickly as possible to their loved ones to remain, Forever Yours.
The product name PawPrintsID was chosen because “pawprints” have been used for thousands of years in tracking, to locate animals. As the team grew, a nurse was added, a couple of bankers, and salespeople as partners, all having a love of animals and input as to benefits the system should offer their members.