Local Life
Area man develops 21st century pet-finder
2/1/2008 3:57:04 PM
By Jeff Kiger
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
When a dog or cat escapes from a backyard or just becomes separated from its owner, people want their pet home as soon as possible.
Dan Crandall thinks he has a solution to this everyday trauma -- metal ID tags. Sure, ID tags are not a new idea. But Crandall's Pet*iD business takes them into the 21st century.
"What separates us is that we use a tag, but it is more of a key to open up our service," Crandall explained recently, while surrounded by computer monitors in his Douglas home office. "It is a pretty simple idea that's pretty complex on the back-end."
His system works like this:
• A pet owner buys a stainless steel Pet*iD tag, with an identification number stamped in it along with a toll-free telephone number and a Web site.
• The owner logs onto www.petid.com to create a profile for his pet. That profile can include a photo, medical records, personal messages as well as contact information.
• The owner can update that profile through moves, vacations and other changes.
"We designed this thing so a third-grader could figure it out," Crandall said.
He has more than 1,000 pets in his system, and his tags are being sold by vendors in 12 states, including Fish & Pets in Rochester and K-M Regional Veterinary Hospital in Kasson.
Pet*iD focuses on the owner, the pet and the person who finds the pet, he said. It eliminates the need for third-party intervention, such as police or a veterinarian.
Why is this better than just putting the pet's name and the owner's telephone number on a tag?
This process allows an owner to update information quickly on the Web site database without creating a new tag.
"That is particularly important in situations like Hurricane Katrina, when owners are going one way and pets are going another," Crandall said.
Also, a typical aluminum tag with a telephone number scratched into it does not last more than a year before it becomes illegible, he said.
Even if the person who finds the pet does not have access to the Internet, the 800 number staffed by Pet*iD is available.
What about having a microchip identification implanted under your pet's skin?
Crandall pointed out that each company selling those chips requires a different reader to identify the pet.
"When you find a lost pet, are you going to load it up in your car and drive around to different places to find the right reader?" he asked rhetorically. "I don't think so."
Calling police would bring out an animal control officer, who probably would take the animal to a shelter to await identification. Pet*iD can reduce that wait time.
"When a pet is missing, time is everything," he said.
One call Crandall fielded was about a missing beagle that turned out to be his son's dog. Once the woman who found the dog was told where it lived, she hung up.
By the time Crandall's son hurriedly drove home from work, the beagle was back in his yard, and his escape hole was blocked. They never did know who found the dog.
Email E-mail this | Digg! Digg this | Delicious
Comments
A pet recovery system that gives the pet owner total control to manage their pet's homeward information anytime from anywhere in the Internet world makes total sense. If the pet and it’s owner get separated, like during a disaster and are relocated into separate locations, the pet owner would be able to keep their pet’s homeward information up to date as they moved through the relocation process. By using the Internet, you are not relying on third parties to route your pet back to you. If my child were lost, I wouldn’t want to have my child routed through a retention center, so why would I want my pet unnecessarily put through an animal pound, where if I didn’t find it in time, it could be put to sleep in five days. TIME IS EVERY THING. Telling all the Veterinarians, Groomers, Municipalities, Kennels, that your pet is gone might make you feel good, but unless they are going to close up shop and go look for your pet, it is pretty much a waste of time. The best thing you can do for your pet is put visible identification that can easily be used by the person that finds your lost friend. I went to the pet id web site and watched the Sparkys Gone video. I looked at the interactive demo and saw how easy and straightforward this service is. I ordered the service for $i2.95 and it was only $6.00 each for my other dog and cat. For me it was a no brainer!
Without visible identification, your pet doesn’t look any different than a homeless stray. Let’s not get caught up in a hypothetical belief that an identification tag is going to fall off or get caught in a snag of some kind. The fact is, tags are the most reliable form of identification there is, and have been responsible for more pet returns than all other methods combined. Making the tag, a tried and proven system, work even better by bringing it into the digital age only makes sense. I am glad someone has finely done it!