East Bay SPCA Helps Reunite Pets With Petco Love Technology

Press release from East Bay SPCA:

April 27, 2021

On April 23rd, National Lost Dog and Cat Awareness Day, the East Bay SPCA is proudly joining forces with Petco Love, formerly known as the Petco Foundation, a national non-profit working to lead and inspire change for animals, and animal welfare groups across the country, on a shared mission to help reunite lost pets with their families should they ever go missing. According to industry statistics, sadly, one in every three pets will go missing in their lifetime.

Petco Love Lost is a new searchable national database that uses patented facial recognition technology to make finding lost pets quicker and easier. Beginning today, this simple-to-use tool will be easily accessible to participating animal organizations nationwide, as well as any pet parent or person who finds a lost pet. Uploaded photos of a missing dog or cat are immediately scanned to determine whether the lost pet is at a participating shelter or with a neighbor in the community.

"We know how quickly a pet can go missing, whether they wandered through an open gate, wanted to follow another animal, or became frightened by loud noises," said, Karalyn Aropen, Vice President of Operations. "We do so much to care for pets, whether they're awaiting their forever home or lost and need help getting back to their families. There is nothing more rewarding than reuniting families with their beloved pets. Since the beginning of the year we have facilitated over 30 lost pets being reunited with their families. We are excited to add Petco Love Lost to the tools we use to find the families of missing pets, and we're confident it can lead to many more happy reunions in the East Bay region."

"We know that one in three pets goes missing in their lifetime, an estimated 10 million pets each year, and we're not ok with that," said President of Petco Love, Susanne Kogut. "That gives us 10 million reasons why we created Petco Love Lost, because we believe nothing is more important than keeping people and pets together for a lifetime of love. Together with the East Bay SPCA, our goal is to keep pets where they belong - at home with you."

To learn more about the East Bay SPCA visit eastbayspca.org and follow @eastbayspca. If you've lost or found a pet, Petco Love Lost is here to help get them home. Visit www.petcolovelost.org or join the conversation @PetcoLoveLost on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter via hashtags #PetcoLoveLost and #LoveandFound.

About the East Bay SPCA

The East Bay SPCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the welfare of cats and dogs in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Its mission is to eliminate animal cruelty, neglect and overpopulation by providing programs and education that support people and companion animals. Founded in 1874, the East Bay SPCA is one of the nation’s oldest animal welfare organizations. The East Bay SPCA is community based and does not receive any “shared” funding from any other animal organizations including the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) or SPCA International. The East Bay SPCA operates two animal adoption centers, a full-service veterinary clinic and two spay/neuter centers. It also offers dog and cat training classes, workshops and seminars and youth education programs year-round. For more information visit eastbayspca.org.

This press release was produced by East Bay SPCA. The views expressed here are the author's own.