People generally want to know where their pet is and that it’s safe. This concern goes into overdrive when traveling. There are multiple methods and devices available to keep pet owners connected to their pets. Especially for regular travelers or for animals too big to fly in the cabin, then we usually recommend both pet identification and tracking devices. Whether it’s somebody at the airport, in the neighborhood, outside a hotel taxi stand, whether it’s an act of malice, incompetence, or an act of god, you want to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing what’s going on with your pet. Here’s how digital pet IDs and tracking systems can get you that peace of mind.
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Pet Identification and Microchipping
Microchipping is an important and increasingly popular way of permanently identifying your pet. Embedded just underneath the skin between the shoulder blades, these microchips reveal a unique pet ID when scanned and have helped countless pets and pet owners reunite, especially when a lost pet turns up at a local animal shelter. As a result, microchipped pet identification has become an increasingly common precaution for pet owners over the years.
These permanently embedded microchips provide an extra measure against tampering and removal, but they can’t be scanned by the average person on the street who might find your lost pet. For this, digital pet IDs are better. The personalized IDs from PetHub, for example, can be scanned by anyone with a cell phone to reveal your pet’s profile and how to get in contact with you.
Real-Time GPS Pet Tracking Systems
As popular as digital pet IDs have become, they still have limited applications compared to real-time GPS pet tracking systems. These are exactly what they sound like, plus a lot more. For traveling, kennel-based pet tracking and monitoring systems can deliver real-time information about location, temperature, air pressure, humidity levels, illumination, and motion sensors. These motion sensors are particularly nice for airline travel as they can detect sudden changes in altitude, vibration levels, and kennel orientation. This information is then monitored by the airline and by the passenger as well on most modern planes.
GPS Tracking Systems for Pet Owners
While most airlines prefer Sendum-brand tracking systems for kennel-style monitoring, when it comes to 24/7 pet tracking for private owners, there is a different set of industry leaders. Tractive offers digital pet tracking with worldwide, real-time, geo-tracking information that includes an archive so you can see every place your pet has been. These devices are also great for virtual fences which provide alerts when pets leave a defined safe area, like the backyard. The location of your pet is confirmed every 2-3 seconds with the live tracking feature.
Cost of Pet ID and Tracking Systems
Because these systems use active GPS tracking, there is typically a small monthly subscription fee in addition to the device itself. The device might cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $50-$100+, while monthly service plans cost somewhere around $5-$10/month. Microchipping is even cheaper with a one-time fee between $25-$50 at most animal shelters and vet clinics.
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