Ring has announced that it is expanding its Search Party feature to help find lost dogs. Originally launched for Ring owners in the US, the service can now be used by anyone, even people who do not own a Ring camera. You will, however, still need to download the Ring app to file a report.
Search Party works by letting a pet owner create a "lost pet" report inside the app. They provide all the essential details about the missing dog, including a recent photograph and a description.
Using its AI, the system tells participating outdoor cameras in the vicinity to begin scanning their video feeds to find a match. The feature relies on a network of neighbors who have opted their cameras into the program.
If there"s a potential match, the Ring camera owner gets an alert on their phone. This notification shows the picture of the lost dog right next to the video clip their camera captured. They can then review the footage and decide if it is the same dog.
If they believe there is a match, they can choose to share the video and its location data directly with the pet"s owner. The owner also has the option not to get involved by simply ignoring or dismissing the alert.
Ring says that ever since the feature launched, it has helped "bring home more than a dog a day".
In addition to the expansion of the feature, the company is pledging a $1 million commitment to help animal shelters. This money will go toward equipping about 4,000 U.S. shelters with Ring camera systems to help these organizations use the Search Party feature to reunite more lost dogs with their families and reduce the time animals spend in shelters.
Search Party was first introduced last September, alongside Ring"s first-ever line of 4K security cameras, like the Wired Doorbell Pro and the Outdoor Cam Pro.