Good news for pet owners during National Pet ID Week;Â IAMSÂ has developed an app to identify lost dogs using their nose print.
The app, called NOSEiD, is currently beta testing in Nashville, Tennessee, and the surrounding area. The NOSEiD app is available for download on both Apple and Android devices.
Dog owners can download the app and create a profile for their dogs. The profile includes a scan of the pet’s nose, which is a unique print, the same way a human fingerprint is unique to that person. Users can also add a physical description of the dog along with pictures.
Dog owners can send an alert out through their app if their dog goes missing, alerting other NOSEiD users. Anyone who finds the canine can scan its nose to verify the identity of the pup. The person who located the lost pet can connect with the family right in the app.
“Pets are irreplaceable family members, and with the NOSEiD app, we’re hoping to help keep more pets in their loving homes and out of shelters — taking another step toward our goal of ending pet homelessness,” said Craig Neely, the vice president of marketing at Mars Petcare.
“The app is designed to be a community resource, so whether someone has a dog or not, they’ll be able to join the NOSEiD community to help reunite lost dogs with their families in their own neighborhood,” he added.
According to IAMS, more than 10 million pets are reported lost or stolen in the U.S. every year.