Pets/Wildlife

For many pet owners, their pets aren’t just furry companions — they’re full-fledged members of the family.

So, when a dog or cat goes astray, the experience can be overwhelming.

Now, however, a new tool may improve the odds of reuniting owners with their lost pets.

John Polimeno launched the app, Finding Rover, in 2013, to help locate lost dogs and cats through facial recognition.

And, Pasco County Animal Services (PCAS), just like Citrus and Manatee County, has begun using the program.

“It’s a wonderful partnership we have with them,” said Rachel Stever, education and outreach coordinator at Animal Services. “It’s absolutely revolutionary.”

Animal Services, which serves all of Pasco County, operates out of an office located in Land O’ Lakes.

Animal Services coordinates with independent animal shelters in the county, and these organizations can now be more beneficial to one another with Finding Rover.

Pet owners can register their dog or cat on Finding Rover online, via Facebook or directly from the app.

To register, owners upload a mugshot of their pet onto the program, where the picture is carefully scanned. The scan picks up on certain facial features unique to the animal, such as a birth mark, scars or eye color.

Additional information can then be added to the app’s profile detailing the specifics, especially if the animal has a microchip implant number, which Stever said is most helpful.

Every stray that is brought into Animal Services is scanned for a microchip. A microchip can pull up a profile on the pet’s name, address and veterinarian, which can help to track the owner.

Unfortunately, not all dogs and cats brought into shelters have a microchip, so this is where Finding Rover can step in.

Once Animal Services takes in a stray, they post their own profile of the animal, including a picture.

When an owner alerts the app that their pet is missing, the mugshot on profile begins to do a search with profiles at Animal Services and any other shelters who partner with Finding Rover.

If an exact match is found, the app will give the location of the shelter.

If the app is not certain, a GPS will show the shelters within proximity that have potential look-alikes.

“The great thing with Finding Rover is it automatically updates their side of the system,” Stever explained. “They’re getting the same pictures, the same updates that we do all day.”

What’s more, those who find a lost pet can quickly download the app, take a snapshot of the animal and potentially trace the owner as well.

This is reassuring for Stever and her colleagues as they’ve seen an increase in strays in 2018.

Stever stated that an estimated 6,400 animals have come to the shelter this past year, an uptick by almost 1,100 from last year.

Under Animal Services’ policy, animals with a microchip can be put up for adoption if not claimed within 72 hours of admittance, while those without a microchip are put up after 48 hours.

Finding Rover also assists in an adoption process, as potential owners can scroll through pictures of dogs and cats at nearby shelters.

Although Stever said the goal is to find a good home for these animals, nothing beats reconnecting pets with their true owners.

“I’ve seen people that are reunited after a couple of days, and it’s just as emotional as when they’ve been separated for months,” Stever said.

The app also is a testament that no matter how similar two animals may look, they each have qualities which make them unique and special.

Published November 28, 2018