MORE THAN 250,000 DOLLARS WERE RAISED FOR GPS TRACKER FOR DOGS AND CATS WITHOUT PAID SUBSCRIPTION

Is your cat a hard to control individualist that goes wherever it wants? Do you agree that dogs are man‘s best friend but each time you let your pet off the lead you‘re afraid it may never come back? This feeling may finally stop bothering you thanks to an app that allows for tracking pets using a smartphone. In an article about best crowdfunding ideas from Kickstarter and Indiegogo.com, the DigitalTrends.com portal mentions an innovative project of GPS pet tracker with no monthly fees.

Such devices are already available on the market, like the Dog tracker Tractive, but you need to pay for access to an online platform and storing data concerning your pet.

According to the article from DigitalTrends.com, the Findster Duo, creators of the product, emphasize that a typical dog collars with GPS require a monthly fee, for example ‘the Link AKC Smart Collar, typically have monthly service fees that range from around $ 7-$10 per month‘, which is about 5-8 pounds.

The Gadget from the Findster Duo doesn‘t require any fees as it uses its own wireless technology called Maze. It allows for direct communication between the Pet Module (attached to a collar) and the Guardian Module (for the pet‘s owner) using the Android system. The Modules communicate with themselves and the pet‘s location is visible on a phone via the Findster app, so the pet owner needs to have the Guardian Module with them.

The only expense is the cost of the set that also includes a USB charger for both modules.

It is said that the idea came into fruition because one of the creators had problems with his dog running after cats.

GPS tracker with no additional costs but with limited range

There is a limitation concerning wireless communication between the two modules – the maximum range is up to 3.2 km. So, in order to see your pet‘s location, the two of you need to stay within this range, as your smartphone doesn‘t directly connect to the Pet Module, it gets data from the Guardian Module.

If the distance between the two of you is bigger, the connection is lost and there is no possibility to monitor your pet. You need to be inside the range for the modules to reconnect. The range may of course differ depending on the surroundings, it may be less than 3.2 km in a densely built-up areas but even more in an open space.

Virtual leash and fence to the rescue

In order to keep your dog in the range, you may turn on something similar to the Geofencing feature (i.e. safe zone) that is available in the Tractive GPS tracker. It allows for setting a virtual boundary on a map, for example, border of a park or area where your dog can wander without a leash.

If your dog crosses it, you will be alarmed so that you can catch your dog before it runs away even further.

There‘s also an option of a virtual leash, meaning setting your position as the centre point so that the safe zone moves along with you.

Imagine that you are having an accidental chat with a friend and you‘re standing still for some time while your dog‘s moving further and further away. If you set the virtual leash for 500 metres and your dog is further from you than that, you will be immediately alerted and can start heading in its direction having 2.5 km of distance before losing its location.

Endomondo for cats and dogs

The Findster Duo app is similar to Endomondo – it displays number of steps taken by the pet, distance made, duration of a walk and number of calories burnt. The pet‘s owner may be awarded with discounts for treats for pets or reprimanded if there was no usual afternoon walk.

The app features also a shared access option dedicated to family members looking after their pets but also to friends who love their dogs and cats and want to monitor their activities or even compete with each other.

If there‘s more than one pet in your family, you can pair a Guardian Module with up to five Pet Modules to track all your animals and get to know their habits and preferences.

Our opinion

The lack of monthly fee is definitely a tempting advantage, but you need to have in mind the limited connectivity range between the two modules, remarks Michael Evans from the Detective Store. On the other hand, there‘s the virtual fence feature that alarms the owner if a pet is too far away.

It may happen, however, that a pet gets lost when you haven‘t got the Guardian Module with you or forget the smartphone with the app, and if it goes away further than 3 km, you won‘t know its location. Sometimes dogs or cats leave the house premises without anybody noticing. Traditional GPS tracker shows your pet location irrespectively if it‘s 5 km or 10 metres away. Also, it doesn‘t require an additional app for your smartphone, he explains.

In case of any questions, please contact Michael Evans by calling ‘(44) 020 3290 1199 or via e-mail contact@detective-store.com.

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