Halifax Humane Society Partners with Petco Love Lost Using its Free AI-Powered Database to Help Reunite Lost Pets in Volusia County

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the height of hurricane season approaches, Halifax Humane Society announces a groundbreaking partnership with Petco Love to deploy Petco Love Lost, a free, photo-matching pet reunification database powered by AI technology. This vital tool will now be made available across Volusia County to help lost pets get back home faster—before ever reaching a shelter.

Halifax Humane Society is calling on city and county officials across Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, Port Orange, DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach, South Daytona Beach, and Volusia County to integrate Petco Love Lost into their official animal control operations. The free platform allows pet parents to pre-register their pets with just one photo, so if a pet goes missing—especially during or after a storm—anyone who finds the pet can upload a photo and be instantly matched with the pet parent through the national database.

"Our goal is simple: every pet in Volusia County should be registered in this free system before a storm hits," said Sean Hawkins, CEO of Halifax Humane Society. "This technology can help reunite lost pets within minutes—without them ever having to enter a shelter."

Petco Love Lost already partners with more than 3,000 shelters and rescues nationwide, including Halifax Humane Society, which automatically uploads every incoming pet to the platform. This has already led to dozens of successful reunions. But to maximize impact, the entire community must participate—shelters, veterinary clinics, rescue groups, and individual pet parents.

"Petco Love Lost is being used successfully in thousands of cities across the country," said Gina Knepp, National Program Manager for Petco Love Lost. "But Volusia County stands out as the very first countywide, coordinated deployment effort. That's powerful. When an entire region commits to reuniting pets with their families using a single platform, lives are saved, heartbreak is prevented, and our communities become more compassionate places."

To support this community-wide effort, Halifax Humane Society will host two free workshops in partnership with Petco Love:

Community Training Workshop for Shelters and Rescue Organizations:
  Wednesday, July 23rd | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
  Halifax Humane Society | 2364 LPGA Blvd. | Daytona Beach, FL
  RSVP Required: https://www.halifaxhumanesociety.org/workshop-organizations

Veterinarian Training Workshop:
  Thursday, July 24th | 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
  Halifax Humane Society | 2364 LPGA Blvd. | Daytona Beach, FL
  RSVP Required: https://www.halifaxhumanesociety.org/workshop-veterinarians

"This is a unique moment for Volusia County to unite and centralize all lost and found pet reports into one powerful, easy-to-use system," said Hawkins. "The more people who use it, the more pets we can get home—fast, safe, and without ever setting paw in a shelter."

"You don't have to wait for a training session to use the tool now. We encourage every pet parent across Volusion County to go to PetcoLoveLost.org right now to upload a picture of your pet into the free platform. This three-minute action could literally save your pet's life!"

About Petco Love Lost
Petco Love Lost is a free, national lost and found database that uses photo-matching technology to help reunite lost pets with their families. With over 300,000 pets already registered and more than 100,000 reunions facilitated, the platform is available at PetcoLoveLost.org.

About Halifax Humane Society
Halifax Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the greater Daytona Beach area. Each year, the organization provides shelter, medical care, and adoption services to nearly 15,000 animals, working to strengthen the human-animal bond through compassion, education, and lifesaving programs.

Contact:
Sean Hawkins, CEO
Halifax Humane Society
(713) 269-3574
[email protected]

Gina Barbato Knepp
Petco Love Lost
[email protected]

SOURCE Halifax Humane Society