PAWSCOUT Is The Smart Pet Tag

Keeping a watchful eye on your pet isn’t easy unless they’re constantly by your side. Dogs and cats may stray either inadvertently or deliberately and it only takes a moment for them to disappear if given the opportunity to do so. It could be a loose gate or a bulging fence or even their being off leash and taking off for any reason or getting distracted and not coming back after running down a field. Regardless of how it happens, it could happen and being proactive is better than just hoping everything will always turns out right. So one method is to have a microchip embedded in the pet but obviously it requires going to a vet to do it and how many people or places have a reader to “see” what it says if a pet is picked up? A better solution is a device that can be placed on a collar on the pet and which ties in with the thing that pretty much everybody has — a smartphone. So this gives us version two of PAWSCOUT, a digital information service contained in a small tag device that your pet will always have with them.

PAWSCOUT looks very much like a small round tag attached to the collar and, if desired, the company will sell you optionally an engraved nameplate that can be attached — this can visually provide the pet’s name and crucial information such as address and phone number (there will be some down time for their getting this to you). Now if that was the extent of what it could do, then it wouldn’t really be a digital device. But that isn’t the extent because it has electronics inside and a replaceable battery that powers those electronics for about 6 months at a time. It’s probably a good time to mention that the PAWSCOUT is water resistant and so doesn’t have to be removed during rainy season or if the pet encounters a sprinkler or other such water inducing moment (if it had to be removed it would negate its value).

So what does PAWSCOUT do? For one thing it can store a profile of your pet that can be accessed by anyone with the free app. The app (iOS/Android) is used to create the profile which is then stored on PAWSCOUT — it can contain contact information and vet info about vaccinations and medical issues, even photos. Bluetooth is the means for getting the information from the app to PAWSCOUT initially, but then BT is used to initiate a number of other abilities. For example you can set up a virtual “leash” to inform you if the pet strays from a designated area (examples being your yard). Because of Bluetooth and the accompanying use of GPS, should your pet stray and come within range (300 feet) of another person who has the app, you can be informed by them that your pet has been located. It’s a form of crowdsourcing — it’s joining in on a connected community of like minded individuals in the sense that others using the app can and will help you in a time of need. And through connecting with others through the app to share photos and stories, an extended community can be built. Since the app is free, those without pets aren’t kept from using it either.

The beauty of this is that most pets don’t stray far from their homes and so those who can and will help you are your neighbors and extending out, pet owners you see on your block, etc. PAWSCOUT also enables being able to track your walks with your pet (or runs) in a specialized diary and can alert you when someone takes your pet out for a walk (examples being a friend or family member). And again, since the battery doesn’t have to be recharged (i.e., it’s always good and working for months at a clip), just when you need PAWSCOUT to be working most, it will.

PAWSCOUT is made to work on any size collar and has mounting options for small/medium/large cats and dogs. There is no subscription or monthly service charge and as already mentioned the app is also free. Ir retails for under $20. For more information go to www.pawscout.com