Whistle Launches Industry-First Features in New Pet Wearables: Whistle GO and Whistle GO Explore

SAN FRANCISCO, July 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Whistle, the leader in health and location tracking that is transforming the way we care for our pets, today announced the launch of its new best-in-class wearables -- Whistle GO and Whistle GO Explore. The company has developed a next-generation pet wearable that expands beyond existing safety and activity features to include a new health monitoring platform. The new trackers will keep pet owners connected 24/7 with real-time location tracking and improved battery life, amidst other features. Additionally, Whistle conducted a survey of 1,000 U.S. pet owners which revealed their concerns, priorities and attitudes towards tracking and monitoring their pets.

Nearly half (49%) of respondents rank their dog as a top-three concern in their life, and their top-ranked concerns about their dog, all tied at 18%, were running away, health and safety. Through tracking technology, data science and research, Whistle's latest evolution of devices give pet owners peace of mind by introducing a new window into their four-legged best friend's world.

The Whistle GO family brings to market exciting new behavior monitoring and health features. Together with their team of data scientists and Banfield veterinarians, Whistle is pioneering a groundbreaking three-year study of over 55,000 dogs to observe behavior and health trends at unprecedented detail. By noticing changes in sleep, licking, scratching and more, the Whistle GO trackers enable owners to notice potential changes in the health of their pet to provide better proactive and preventative care.

Almost half (43%) of respondents stated they worry about their dog getting enough exercise; in fact, nearly 60% of dogs worldwide are considered overweight or obese^[1], with some breeds living up to two and a half years less when outside a healthy weight range. Whistle helps pet owners by offering a recommended daily amount of activity to keep pets in shape, while also reporting on calories burned, total active minutes, time spent resting, percentage attainment of daily activity goals and more.

"Whistle GO and Whistle GO Explore will provide pet owners a new window into their pet's world by helping answer the top questions owners have regarding their pets, such as location, exercise and health," said Collette Bunton, CEO of Whistle. "With the addition of groundbreaking health features, like itching and licking detection and sleep monitoring, Whistle has become an intelligent tool empowering pet owners with new insights that create awareness around our pets' health and well-being."

The latest evolution of Whistle devices improve upon the best-selling Whistle 3 GPS Pet Tracker & Activity Monitor with new features in safety, fitness and health, including:

• Real-time GPS tracking. Whistle GO devices are the only all-in-one trackers to offer live tracking that checks in every 15 seconds with backing by AT&T for nationwide coverage and Google Maps for precise location pinpointing.
• New health and behavior monitoring. By tracking changes in sleep, licking, scratching and more, the Whistle GO trackers deliver weekly wellness reporting on potential changes in the health of their pet to provide better proactive and preventative care.
• Up to 2X improved battery life. Built with a powerful, longer-lasting battery, Whistle GO lasts up to 10 days and Whistle GO Explore lasts up to 20, so you can spend less time charging and more time adventuring.
• Built-in light. Whistle GO Explore features a built-in light for visibility for added safety when out at night, which pet owners can access remotely from the app.
• Updated location and fitness features. The Whistle app is getting a refreshed view of pets' whereabouts with an updated Location tab. Pet owners can see their pet's daily trips, current and past, plus a weekly heatmap of where they've been. In addition, pet owners will now receive notifications when their pet is close to daily activity goals to ensure their pet meets their fitness goals.
• New colors. Whistle GO comes in blue, pink and taupe, and Whistle GO Explore comes in gray, magenta and Whistle Green.

Whistle plans to roll out additional features for the Whistle GO line before the end of the year to empower pet owners with personalized stats on their pet's health, activity and overall well-being.

Availability

Whistle GO is priced at $99.95 and comes in blue, pink and taupe. Whistle GO Explore retails for $129.95 and comes in gray, magenta and Whistle Green. Both are available on whistle.com and Amazon.com. In order to enable nationwide tracking through AT&T, a subscription is required for each device, and plans start at $6.95 a month.

Additional survey highlights

• 16% of dog owners rank their dog as the number one concern they spend the most time worrying about, more than their job, health, family and finances.
• Half (51%) of dog owners rank scratching or licking as the behavior that causes them to worry about their dog the most.
• Six out of 10 (61%) dog owners say they at least somewhat agree that tracking and monitoring technology could help them better understand their dog's needs, and 20% strongly agree.
• Nearly all (91%) of dog owners surveyed are at least somewhat interested in technology that helps know their dog's location if they run away.
• Seven out of 10 (71%) dog owners say they at least somewhat agree that they enjoy spending time with their dogs more than other people, and one-third (33%) strongly agree.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted using the online survey platform Pollfish, and compiled by DKC Analytics. The sample of 1,000 adults who only have a dog(s) in the United States was surveyed June 3rd, 2019 to June 4th, 2019. The margin of error is 3.2% and no additional weighting was done to the initial sample. Pollfish's survey platform deliver online surveys globally through mobile apps and the mobile web along with the desktop web.

About Whistle
Whistle is the tech brand on a mission to improve the lives of pets, by empowering the people who love them. By combining pet science and technology, Whistle helps parents care for their best friend in ways not previously possible. Whistle's top-rated wearables are changing the way we understand our pet's overall well-being for unparalleled avenues of care and peace of mind. Whistle has been part of Kinship, the venture, technology and data division of Mars Petcare, since 2016. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

^[1] Sources: Better Cities for Pets. Weight Management: Keeping our pets healthy survey 2018. Available via: https://www.bettercitiesforpets.com/2018/02/22/survey-weighs-pet-obesity-crisis/. Last accessed 18 August 2018

SOURCE Whistle