Rocky Mountain Tracking

Daily GPS News

Protect Your Pet From Bad Weather With GPS

April 26th, 2013

Oklahoma City is known for some disastrous weather. Strong winds and tornadoes have devastated homes and families. In severe weather, people not only lose their property, sometimes family members (including pets) can go missing as well. Pets can get swept up by intense winds, or simply run away to find some safe shelter. In 2012, Oklahoma City animal welfare found more than 27,000 lost pets and only around 1,500 of them were reunited with their families. Animal shelters are encouraging pet owners to invest in a GPS tracking device to better the chances of finding a pet if it gets lost.

Pet owners living in areas vulnerable to severe weather would do well to put some extra thought into investing in a GPS device for their pets. Animal shelters report that they see a lot of lost pets when bad storms pass through their area. However, even if you live in a mild climate, equipping your pet with a GPS device could save you some real heartache should your pet go missing. “I think that [would] be a great help for any pet owner really, I mean, any dog can get out so that’s a real concern for any pet owner,” said John McFarland.

Many pet owners see their pets as members of the family. When a pet goes missing, it can be incredibly stressful. “I think of my dog as my child so if he were to get out I’d like to know where he’s at. I’d like to be able to find him,” said Maysea Ranier. “Just the other day she got loose and I was getting a little bit worried about it so I was driving around looking for her.”

Despite the clear benefit GPS technology provides to pet owners, most pet stores still do not offer tracking devices. You can find a GPS tracking device right here at RMTracking.com for around $100. Most pets will get away from their owners from time to time. With GPS tracking, finding your pets is easier than ever!

From the Great to the Small, GPS Tracks Them All

March 19th, 2013

We live in an age of grand technology, don’t we? We have flying machines and diving vehicles. With the internet, we can exchange information around the globe with lightning speed. We have satellites in orbit around our planet serving dozens of purposes, from weather prediction and observation, to GPS tracking and navigation, to military communications.

There are some other, still remarkable, technologies which work closer to home; we have touch-screen computers and mobile phones, incredibly vast quantities of digital storage and memory space available to us, and even GPS tracking capabilities for our automobiles and… our pets? Yes, indeed; with GPS tracking technologies, we’re working to recover everything from stolen cars to missing animals.

It may seem an odd use of the tool, but pet owners everywhere can sympathize with the anxiety that comes with losing a pet. Locating a missing animal can be difficult at best, as pet are wont to wander and don’t often stop to ask directions home. Add to that the possibility that a pet can drop its identification tags, and you’ve got another nightmare altogether. How many thousands of pets, do you suppose, have been lost forever due to their meandering or to their missing tags?

More than 600,000 pets have been restored to their owners thanks to a microchip implant which contains their owner’s contact information. Small as a grain of rice, this chip is installed easily between a pet’s shoulder blades. But, while there certainly is permanency in this form of identification, a microchip cannot locate or track an animal.

That is where GPS tracking would come in, and likely save the day. Current GPS tracking devices for pets are crafted within pet collars, running off of towers like those used for cell phone signals. But towers sometimes go down or are out of range and collars are not always on the animal when they go missing. That is why the technology is being worked out for a GPS tracking microchip.

With a GPS tracking microchip implanted in much the same way as identification chips, pet could be located quickly and effectively by their owners at any time. If the devices ran on satellite signal, rather than tower, there would be far less chance of the signal being lost or of the device going out of range. Pet owners could truly rest at ease, knowing that their animal was sure to be found if lost.

What amazing abilities we have with our gadgets and gizmos.

Track Your Cat, Dog, or Even Horse With Tractive

February 26th, 2013

Move over, Tagg. There’s a new GPS tracker on the block for pet owners looking for an easy way to know where they are at all times. Tractive, an Austrian company, unveiled its GPS tracking device at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) which gives pet owners peace of mind with real-time tracking and location information.

Yes, Tagg has been around for a while. However, it is very limited in its application. The Tagg GPS tracking device is quite large, and this means it is only suitable for medium to large sized dogs. The location tracking itself is far from real-time: the Tagg device will not display the route your dog has taken. Instead, the hardware pings the system on the Web every 10 minutes.

Tractive felt a GPS device could do so much more for pet owners, who are oftentimes just as worried about their precious furry friends as a mother would be about her children. Their solution: a GPS tracking device small enough to be worn by cats and small dogs. This allows more pet owners to keep an eye on their pets, even farm animals such as cows, horses, sheep, and donkeys. The company has conducted successful testing on these animals.

Tractive also relies on a SIM card, which is the key to its real-time tracking. Simply download an app or log on to a website to view your animal’s whereabouts on a map. The hardware and app communicate constantly rather than relying on pings every so often. You can set a “Safe Zone,” and each time your pet leaves this zone, you will be notified instantly.

If you install the app on your smartphone (iOS only, $4.49), you are able to store vital information in one place, such as vaccination records and appointments, vet information, and chip ID number to name a few. The tracking service itself will cost about $6.50 each month.

Tractive is expected to be available to US customers by the end of the month. An Android version of the app is expected to follow at some point in March.

GPS Tracking Keeps Pets Safe and Healthy

December 19th, 2012

Any fitness buff who has incorporated the FitBit tracker or Nike + iPod sports kit will tell you how indispensable the technology is to his or her routine. GPS tracking has revolutionized the fitness world by allowing users to record their pace, total time (and individual lap) length, personal bests, and similar statistics. Now thanks to companies like Snaptracs, with their invention of the Tagg collar attachment device, pet owners can now have the same type of data recorded about their furry family members.

GPS Tracking Finds Furry Escape Artists

GPS tracking enables owners to follow their pet’s every move. With devices like Tagg attached to the dog’s or cat’s collar, there’s no way a pet can leave or be taken from a pre-determined area—a yard, fence, or similar boundary—without the owner’s being notified of the great escape.

By checking your pet’s GPS tracking account on the company website or, for more immediate response, alerts sent via text message and smart phone app, Tagg will not only tell you where your pet is right now but can also give driving directions to his exact location.

GPS Tracking Aids Pudgy Pets

GPS tracking technology enables owners to monitor their pet’s health. Breed specifics, personal temperament (some animals can be just plain lazy), and individual pet size determine how much poundage is considered unhealthy and how much exercise each cat or dog needs. GPS trackers like Tagg can measure the pet’s normal physical behavior—the smallest movement is detected—so owners (and consulting veterinarians) can make sure it’s enough to maintain their animal’s good health. Whether the cat or dog naps, roams the yard, chases the ball (or cars!), or engages in any other activity, the collar-attached GPS tracker records all data including speed, duration, and overall daily habits for up to 90 days.

The tracker then stores the information and consolidates it into easy-to-read charts transmitted onto the pet owner’s online account (viewable by computer and mobile app). The activity charts give owners a clearer idea of their animal’s long-term health. Pet parents can better judge whether Fido’s daily walk is sufficient in helping him reach tip-top shape and, along with vets, recognize developing mobility problems.

GPS tracking, thanks to Tagg and like technology, might just render those “Have you seen my pet?” posters obsolete and will help pets enjoy a long, happy, healthy life with their beloved humans.

CSU Student Studies Domestic Cats with GPS Tracking Devices

October 24th, 2012

We’ve reported dozens of stories here at RMT involving researchers studying wildlife with GPS tracking devices. This technology gives scientists a rare look into the movements of animals in their natural habitat, away from human eye-sight. More recently, a student at Colorado State University (CSU) began tracking felines in the Boulder area. Stephanie Ashley has attached GPS devices to several dozen domesticated, but “outdoor” cats and is monitoring their activity. In addition to gathering information about the cats’ whereabouts, she is also tracking how many animals are killed and brought home by the cats. In the last you months, the cats have brought home 25 small mammals and 11 birds.

“My main goal is to better inform cat owners of the risks their cats may incur and impose on the landscape,” Ashley explained. “We know that cats wreak havoc on island ecosystems.” She plans to educate cat owners of the dangers their cats are exposed to, as well as the dangers their cats pose to the local environment. The data provided by the tracking devices will hopefully help cat owners consider the benefits of laws like the one in Fort Collins, CO. In Fort Collins, all cats must wear a leash and collar when outside the house. The Larimer Humane Society is charged with enforcing this law, the consequence of which is a $100 fine, the same as having a dog without a leash.

Stephanie Ashley is all for a similar law in her area. “It protects the animal and protects other animals. It minimizes the chance they’ll come into contact with other wildlife and minimizes their chances of getting lost,” she said. “They’re hunters by nature.” One interesting piece of information gathered from the GPS tracking devices is how far the cats are wandering from home. Surprisingly, the felines are staying fairly close to home during their nightly hunts. “They’re not wandering that far. They’re definitely sticking close to home,” Ashley said. “My goal is to learn what the risk might be, and inform cat owners with as much information as possible to minimize these risks, if there are any.”

Karma Missing Pet Network: Combining Social Media and GPS to Find Missing Pets

October 15th, 2012

Ryan Vinson, software developer, was inspired to create an app after volunteering with his local animal rescue center in Los Angeles. He watched as countless missing pet signs covered the streets each day, and decided he wanted to find a way to help owners find their missing furry friends. An iPhone app was launched a few months ago and has gained a host of users due mostly to the GPS functionality and free price tag, and its success has pushed Vinson a step further into developing a website to enhance his app.

KarmaMissingPetNetwork.com is live, although it is still being tweaked here and there to assure users the best experience possible. Upload your missing pet’s information, or information on a pet you may have found. After inputting basic information, you can browse the pets listed on the site if you are looking for your lost animal using powerful filters. GPS location tracking allows you to attach crucial location information, whether you are posting a missing pet you found, or looking for your lost pet. It is the images that set the site apart from others, helping users find their pet faster. The GPS location information is included for each picture.

Another key feature not on other sites is the back-end of the application, which searches pet listings on other sites, taking data from social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. This makes KarmaMissingPetNetwork.com the only site you need to go to when dealing with a lost pet. The site also gives users the option to report posts as irrelevant, assuring the service remains reliable.

KarmaMissingPetNetwork.com and its associated app give both those who have lost a furry companion and those who are harboring a lost animal in the hopes of reuniting them with their family a greater chance at success. In some cases, the missing animal requires important life saving medication. In any situation where a lost pet is concerned the app and website offer users a one-stop-shop that makes the search a little easier, and the fact they rely on GPS tracking makes the service more relevant to the area you live in. Download the app today for iPhone for free, and head to http://www.KarmaMissingPetNetwork.com/ for more information.

Who’s Walking the Dog?

August 8th, 2012

Dog-walking has come a long way since the days of giving the neighbor boy a buck to take the dog around the block a few times. It’s a serious business these days, particularly in areas where many dog owners are high-powered executives who care about their pets but just don’t have the time to give them regular exercise. A GPS application now gives owners the ability to check up on the dog walking service they hire and see if Fido is really getting his ten laps.

VeriWalk, not surprisingly, was co-developed by a dog owner who was tired of finding out that he was paying someone who didn’t treat his job seriously. If only there was a way to check in and see exactly where that dog-walker was during the scheduled walking time! With so many cell phones featuring built in GPS technology, all that remained was to build a program around that technology, tailored to meet the needs of dog walkers and their customers (their human customers, that is). That meant adding a text/email notification at the beginning and end of each walk, plus a map that updates in real time during the walk.

Initiation of this GPS application requires installation by both the dog walking service and the customer. The software is free to customers, and only minor fees apply to the software used by dog-walkers. The producers of VeriWalk anticipate that the app will quickly become popular as a form of accountability that has been conspicuously absent from the industry. The last time dog-walkers were this accountable was when you could ask the neighbor boy’s mother whether or not he earned his buck!

A second version of the GPS application is available for internal use only; that is, supervisors at the dog-walking service can track their employees, without the customer being involved at all. This is a fascinating variation on the quickly growing “fleet tracking” program, usually applied to cargo shipping, city bus, and trash truck fleets.

Dog-walking services might jump at the opportunity to gain an advantage over competing companies by being the first in the area to offer verified walks. Unfortunately, the app will not tell customers whether or not the walker cleaned up after Fido…but the neighbor will probably let you know about that!

RTK Integrated with a SAASM GPS Receiver by TAG

July 17th, 2012

TAG (Technology Advancement Group, Inc.) along with ITT Exelis have announced they were successful in integrating their Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) system, which allows positioning accuracy to the centimeter based on high-precision measurements, from their embedded GPS receiver with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SASM) technology. The Army Geospatial Center (AGC) of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has contracted TAG to provide a Precise Positioning Service (PPS) GPS Survey System (PGSS) that meets the strict requirements of deployed Army surveyors. The GPS controller, which integrates the embedded ITT Exelis SAASM GPS receiver, RTK algorithms, and an RTK radio, is a component of the PGSS contained in a compact package.

This technology, which is highly-integrated, is already built in kinematic applications and is easily customizable for a host of military applications, like robotics, machine control, and unmanned vehicles, but does not require a separate commercial RTK GPS receiver. This gives the user the utmost assurance of complete military system performance during all phases of operations. The added bonus: a single receiver means smaller size, power, weight, and cost.

“We are proud that our solution enables AGC and other military customers to have access to centimeter-level accurate positioning while simultaneously enjoying the benefit of a fully-certified SAASM-based embedded GPS receiver,” said TAG’s CEO Jim McEwan. “It will deliver full, uncompromising performance at all times without relying upon any commercial receiver technology.”

Orders are currently being taken for these receivers from authorized customers only. If customization is required, the units can be expected to be delivered in 90-120 days.

TAG is a leading provider of “ruggedized computing solutions” to the government and commercial customers for about 30 years. Their Tactical Systems Group works to develop rugged customized mobile electronic systems using their expertise and use of state-of-the-art technology, best practice processes, and leveraging existing modules.

GPS Dog Tracking Collars: Saving Pets During Hurricane Season

July 10th, 2012

It may be early, but it’s that time of year again, when the southeastern states begin to prepare their homes and families for another hurricane season. Sandbags and emergency supplies are stockpiled, plywood is purchased in preparation to board up windows on the coast, and an evacuation route is planned in the event of disaster. What about the pets? Oftentimes, the family pet is left out of the preparatory plan. Think back to Hurricane Katrina, and the images of those dogs wandering aimlessly through the city streets, and it’s easy to see why pets should not be overlooked. Love My Pets GPS is designed for these emergencies, quickly locating your pets or identifying them to those who may give the animal temporary shelter in the event of a disaster.

Love My Pets GPS was created just after Katrina when the owner of the company (Love My Pets GPS LLC), Mike Macatee, was witnessing the news footage of the pets wandering around searching for their families in vain. He wanted there to be a way to assure you can quickly and effectively locate your pet whether there is a disaster or your pet simply wanders away from home. He developed a dog collar that used GPS location technology to pinpoint the location of a lost pet, unlike the microchips implanted in a pet. “There is a misunderstanding regarding pet micro-chipping. Many pet owners think that a microchip will locate a pet, and that is just not true,” said Macatee. “With Pet Tracker, we can locate a lost pet in seconds and recover them. Our GPS dog trackers are available with a dog collar or a dog harness and are used by Police K-9 units due to their effectiveness and affordability.”

Other solutions geared toward pet safety in natural disasters during are offered by Love My Pets GPS, such as the Reflective Glow in the Dark collar and harness which do exactly as they say: glow in the dark. This makes the dog easier to see at night, which not only allows you quickly locate your pet, but also makes it safer for your dog to wander as oncoming vehicles will easily see the glowing collar or harness. The simplest and most economical choice is a personalized collar which lists your home address and/or phone number. This way, when someone comes across your dog, you can be notified immediately.

This hurricane season, please don’t forget about including your pet into your disaster plan. Most shelters do not accept pets due to public health risks, and as such, a plan for your pets is crucial. Find out if the shelters in your area accept pets or not and make arrangements in advance if need be, whether with friends, relatives, a kennel, or even your veterinarian. There are always hotels that allow pets, so call around and save the information for each hotel along your evacuation route that accommodate pets. Don’t forget a survival kit for your dog, things like food, medication, water, and vaccination records. You’d do it for your kids, and as such, should do it for your pet. They too are a member of your family, and cannot prepare themselves for the situations a disaster like a hurricane can throw at them.

Find more information on the GPS Dog Tracking Collar offered by Love My Pet GPS at www.lovemypetsgps.com/gps-dog-tracking-page.html

Lose Spot No More with the Tagg Pet Tracker

June 11th, 2012

If you own a dog who doubles as a magician, a master escape artist, you’ll be pleased to know that Qualcomm offers a tracking device aimed at keeping your furry friend safe no matter where they may roam, the Tagg pet tracker.

This handy GPS tracking device allows you to see the location of your precious pet at all times on a map thanks to a tiny GPS device attached easily to your dog’s collar. Simply log on to Tagg’s online portal or an app on your smartphone to track down your pet quickly and easily. Rest assured the device will not disappear, as it is contained in a special holster ensuring it only comes off when you need to recharge its batteries (which shouldn’t happen very often: the GPS device only turns on when it breaches the boundary you’ve specified.)

If your dog happens to travel outside of the home zone you’ve set up on Tagg’s website, you will receive an alert via email or text message which includes a Bing map. Log on to the online portal or app to locate your dog on a map, either bird’s-eye view or street view. Tagg gives you an address nearby your dog to make it even easier, and its location is updated every three minutes. The GPS device even sends out an alert if your dog returns to the home zone.

If you are headed out for a long walk, press a button to deactivate the GPS tracking. This way, you won’t get useless notifications and waste battery life of the device unnecessarily.

Buy a Tagg tracker for $99.99, the winner of a Design and Innovation award at the 2012 Consumer Electronic Show, at major pet stores and some major retailers, as well as on Amazon. There is a $7.95 monthly fee for the tracking service.