Dog Gone! There's An App For That!

High-Tech "Amber Alert" For Pets Launches To Help Find Lost Companion Animals

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lost Petz, a free new app that acts like an Amber Alert for pets, has been launched to help reunite lost companion animals with their families and reduce the tragic toll on the estimated three to four million pets who end up euthanized in the nation's shelters each year.

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The new technology has been designed to enable pet owners to enlist the help of the community in searching for a pet that has gone missing. By downloading the App onto a smartphone and registering specific details about a beloved animal, including a current photograph, pet owners are equipped to send out a "Pet Amber Alert" to pet lovers and other good Samaritans within a 10-mile radius when they realize that their pet has gone missing. The alert provides not only an instantly transmitted picture but additional relevant details that may help in the search for a missing pet, such as identifying details and where and when the pet was last seen.

"Lost Petz is a modern, high-tech equivalent of putting up missing pet posters, contacting local media outlets, and visiting area animal pounds and shelters," said American Humane Association President and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert. "The major difference is that it can get word out to thousands of people within minutes, making it more likely that a beloved animal gets returned quickly and safely, and reducing the period of time that a pet is exposed to dangerous weather, traffic, predators, and other hazards."

"With the support of the animal-loving public, a pet owner can instantly recruit the help of the community in the search for their beloved pet," said Stephen Fern, developer of the Lost Petz App. "It provides a simple and effective up-to-date solution for pet owners around the world whose pets have gone missing."

The Lost Petz App may be downloaded free from the Apple iTunes store and is available to all animal lovers who wish to be part of a compassionate community dedicated to the care of the world's companion animals. An android version will be available shortly. Pet owners can register details for any number of pets and are enabled to send out pet amber alerts for a small fee of 99 cents a year, with a portion of proceeds donated to American Humane Association. The 135-year-old charity protecting children and animals is introducing the App during their American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards™, which is being televised on Hallmark Channel on November 8.

About American Humane Association
American Humane Association is the country's first national humane organization and the only one dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Since 1877, American Humane Association has been at the forefront of virtually every major advance in protecting our most vulnerable from cruelty, abuse and neglect. Today we're also leading the way in understanding the human-animal bond and its role in therapy, medicine and society. American Humane Association reaches millions of people every day through groundbreaking research, education, training and services that span a wide network of organizations, agencies and businesses. You can help make a difference, too. Visit American Humane Association at www.americanhumane.org today.

About Lost Petz
The Lost Petz App was developed by Stephen Fern and his digital web marketing business, E-scape. As Pet owners, many of us have experienced the panic and upset when one of our beloved pets goes missing. The Lost Petz App has been developed to allow pet owners to send out an alert to other pet loving people in the community if their pet goes missing. The alert includes a current photo and additional relevant information about the pet, allowing an anxious pet owner to recruit the assistance of everyone in the vicinity to help reunite them with their pet. Join a global community of animal lovers coming together to help each other in their hour of need. For more information go to www.lost-petz.com

SOURCE American Humane Association