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Could GPS Keep Tabs On Your Pets?

Posted by samzenpus on from the lassie-tracking dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Google Latitude has already made headlines for allowing phone users to locate their friends, and there are countless other iPhone and Android phone apps already designed to transmit your location — but could pets be the next big thing in GPS tracking? A number of device manufacturers are marketing GPS technology as a futuristic tool for tracking your cat or dog, and even discovering exactly where they've been. These devices are sold under a number of names and brands, including Sportdog, LoCATor, RoamEO, Petcell, Zoombak and Pettrack."

27 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. Track pets = track people? by syousef · · Score: 3, Insightful

    My first thought was "Cool, pets don't have privacy issues so tracking them shouldn't be a problem. Would be great if they're lost". Then I thought about celebrities and their pets - how for some celebrities who think their pet is an accessory tracking their pet isn't that different to tracking them. Unfortunately its not limited to celebrities either.

    Perhaps what you need is a GPS system that only switches on if the owner activates it remotely (or fails to respond to an alarm that requires you to tell it not to activate).

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  2. Get a leash! by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you love your dog or cat, keep it on a leash outdoors. Being able to track it down when it's road kill, or frozen to death and chewed up by a snowblower, isn't being a good owner.

    Just off the top of my head, my dogs and I have come across:

    • a small dog that was frozen to death against a fence; 2 days after, the kids who owned it asked me if I had seen it - I had to lie to them and say I hadn't;
    • lots of cats frozen to death in snowbanks, where they crawl to try to get out of the wind;
    • cats with their guts all over the place because passing cars ran over them;
    • stray dogs that are hungry and scared;
    • cats with their backs broken;
    • lots of "have you seen this cat" posters (there are 2 different ones up right now on a single street);

    GPS doesn't "fix" any of this. Letting your pets wander around is no more "humane" than letting a toddler run around. Putting a cat on a leash is no less practical than putting a dog on a leash; the only difference is that, if both a cat and a dog are picked up by the pound, the cat is a lot more likely to be put down (here, half of all dogs put up for adoption find homes compared to only 10% of all cats).

    Also, your neighbours aren't exactly thrilled with your cats running around, killing birds, digging up gardens and flowers, and howling at all hours of the night. Or your dogs running around chasing people.

    Put a leash on it. It's cheaper than a GPS, and it can save your pets' life.

    1. Re:Get a leash! by bemymonkey · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm not a pet owner, but I thought cats were _supposed_ to be let out on their own (at least that's what cat owners tell me), because otherwise they go crazy and tear up furniture or start eating the children...

      Maybe it'd just be easier not to have pets in densely populated areas...

    2. Re:Get a leash! by tomhudson · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Thanks. We wouldn't put a GPS on a 5-year-old kid and let them run loose in the streets, thinking "It's okay now, they have GPS!" GPS won't keep someone from putting your kitten in a plastic bag and smashing it repeatedly against a metal fence until its' back is broken (some sick f*** did that in Verdun 2 years ago). It won't stop them from pouring gasoline on it and setting it on fire. It won't stop them from torturing the cat and dumping it in a bag in the river.

      There are a lot of sick people out there who delight in torturing animals - particularly cats.

      Buster's Law was named after an 18-month-old tabby cat that had been doused with kerosene and burned to death by a Schenectady teen in 1997. Prior to this bill becoming law, animal cruelty resulted in misdemeanor penalties, if any charges were imposed at all.

      Tedisco noted that since the 1997 arrest that inspired the creation of Buster's Law, the perpetrator who abused the cat has been imprisoned for various crimes, including attempted rape, sexual abuse and unlawful imprisonment of a 12-year-old girl.

      "People who abuse animals are on a fast track to one day harming or killing people. It is critical that state government take every measure possible to halt such an escalating pattern of abuse," Tedisco stated.

      FBI reports show that animal cruelty is an offense that often leads to other, more serious crimes against humans. According to the Humane Society of the United States, a 1997 survey of the largest shelters for battered women in the United States found that 85 percent of women and 63 percent of children entering shelters discussed incidents of pet abuse in their families. Notorious serial killers Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz and Jeffrey Dahmer all had histories of abusing animals.

      A GPS doesn't keep animals away from harm - a leash does. Walking your pet also strengthens the bond between it and you. GPS won't do that, either.

    3. Re:Get a leash! by rolfwind · · Score: 5, Interesting

      If you love your dog or cat, keep it on a leash outdoors. Being able to track it down when it's road kill, or frozen to death and chewed up by a snowblower, isn't being a good owner.

      Just because bad things can and do happen, doesn't mean we should keep animals on a leash. I have had plenty of cats, I did get them shots and neutered/spade, but besides not declawing them (for defense purposes), I let them have free run outdoors. Yes, I was on the main road and some got run over, but the vast majority were okay. I never had one freeze to death, but I did provide a small, waterproof dog house for them to stay in if the weather got bad and no one was there to let them in. They weren't stupid creatures although they often did stupid things. I figured the few losses were worth their freedom - they weren't bored animals tethered against their will to a small radius. (And yes, I had to shoot one with my .22 because of injuries sustained against a bigger animal it fought -- something the leash doesn't prevent -- but consider it a similiar to having to do that because it was hit by a car and not killed. Wasn't happy about it, but it had a decent life otherwise).

      Although I would refuse to adopt cats from other places, the insiders always got into trouble and did stupid things.

      Putting a cat on a leash is no less practical than putting a dog on a leash;

      The cats I have had would first fight against the leash and try to pull it off any which way, then try to choke themselves going around corners or through underbrush getting it off, or run in circles entangling themselves and the leash. They'd be thouroughly neurotic within a week, and if ever let loose, probably choose to adopt a different household to cohabit.

      But then I had only outdoor cats (housebroken, would sleep the cold nights inside, but the rest of the time outside).

    4. Re:Get a leash! by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm not a pet owner, but I thought cats were _supposed_ to be let out on their own (at least that's what cat owners tell me), because otherwise they go crazy and tear up furniture or start eating the children..

      So instead of tearing up the furniture, they go out and kill birds and squirrels, dig up gardens and shit on your tomatoes, spray cars and motorcycles and front porches (cat spray really stinks, and once they mark a place, they and other cats will keep coming back), spend their nights howling at each other and fighting, and getting pregnant and having more cats that nobody wants.

      Both cats and dogs can be handled with a leash. Too many cat owners are too lazy. They get a cat because, compared to a dog, a cat is a lot less work. You don't have to walk it several times a day. You don't have to poop-and-scoop, just get a litter box. You can ignore it for weeks on end, as long as you put down food and water.

      Pets are a responsibility, and they take work. The GPS is a panacea for people who want to be able to say "I care for my pet" without actually putting out the leg work.

    5. Re:Get a leash! by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I let them have free run outdoors. Yes, I was on the main road and some got run over

      I had to shoot one with my .22 because of injuries sustained against a bigger animal it fought

      I think you're proving my point.

    6. Re:Get a leash! by DreamsAreOkToo · · Score: 3, Informative

      My cat is miserable if I won't let him outside. You know all those annoying things cats are known for? Well, he's pretty good about that... unless I haven't let him outside for 2 days. On day 3, he's pissing on things, breaking lamps, scratching everything in site, meowing at me constantly, "accidentally" using his claws with me, getting on the countertops, letting the dog into the basement* and generally terrorizing the place.

      He's 15 years old and as healthy as a horse. I've let him outside nearly every day of his life since the day I adopted him from a farm where he learned to hunt. My neighbors started complaining about these red squirrels that moved into the area, but they haven't come near my place (and neither has any other rodent pest). He rarely hunts birds, but my neighbor seemed to think he was a nuisance killing birds. Apparently there is a law in my area that cats cannot be let outside (Wtf?) I received a police citation and kept him inside for two whole weeks (Uggghh). Finally, I found an exception to the law, filled out the forms and started letting him outside again. He was the happiest I've ever seen him.

      Pets are animals. Letting them outside can get them killed. But humans go outside all the time where we are frequently killed. Humans go outside and are run over by cars. Humans go outside and freeze to death. Humans go outside and starve to death.

      There ARE two sides of the argument, and quite frankly pets are animals. Its humans that despair when their pets die, and its humans that are responsible for keeping their pets safe. But it's also humans that are responsible for keeping their pets happy. Don't tell ME how I should care for my pet. One cat wanders outside every day, the other cat lolls indoors all day. Don't lecture me on what's humane.

    7. Re:Get a leash! by Trepidity · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It seems like a subjective judgment. Which is better: keeping cats indoors their whole lives, except for periodic walks outdoors on leashes, and therefore keeping them safer but quite constrained; or allowing them to wander about outdoors as they wish, but with significantly more risk to their safety? Even in humans, the tradeoff between safety and quality of life is subjective, and people do plenty of things that are quite dangerous, like riding motorcycles, skiing, and surfing.

      --
      10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
    8. Re:Get a leash! by icebraining · · Score: 2, Informative

      I disagree. I am a cat owner and taking them out on a leach is much worse for them.

      Cat like exploring and socializing, stuff that is totally inavailable for a cat on a leash. If they kill a bird or squirrel, so what? They're animals, it's what they do.
      As for the territorial and sexual aspects, both can be greatly or completely reduced by taking your cat to the vet and neuter them. It's a painless procedure and it prevents the territorial marking, the howling and getting pregnant.

      Of course, they can be killed by cars and such, but I had four cats until now and they all were free to roam and the three deaths I had were by natural causes.

      --
      Dilbert RSS feed
    9. Re:Get a leash! by MichaelSmith · · Score: 2, Interesting

      In Malaysia there are monkeys pretty much anywhere there is a bit of bush and the ability to scavenge food. In Singapore cats are all over the place. They aren't huge and overfed like our cat. They are slimmed down killing machines.

      It makes me wonder what happened to the monkeys? Do the cats kill them? I wouldn't be surprised.

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
    10. Re:Get a leash! by tomhudson · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They can get catrepellent etc for their garden, for the rest, tough titties for them :P

      Why should I have to spend money to pollute my environment just to control YOUR pests?

      Why should I have to put up with your cat shitting on my lawn, or spray on my doorstep? Or is it now okay for my dogs to shit on your lawn, and mark their territory on your doorstep?

      It's easier for me to just call the city and have them give you a $300 fine, plus $25 day for boarding the cat (minimum 3 days while the rabies tests are done, paperwork processed, etc.,), plus the cost for test to make sure it doesn't have rabies.

      Don't like it? As you said, "tough titties for you". Don't want to pay the fines? Get a leash.

    11. Re:Get a leash! by tomhudson · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Kill off all the squirrels and birds, and you end up with more mice and grubs and other pests. There's a natural balance. Feral cats upset it.

      Neighbours' cat used t spray my motorcycle all the time. It eventually ended up dead (not my doing) when a car ran over it. It would have lived longer and been less of a nuisance if the owners had kept it indoors or on a leash.

      Putting an animal on a leash is not wrong. A leash is more than just a physical restraint - it's also a line of communication between the pet and its' master. My dogs get very excited when I go for the leash. It also helps keep them under control when someone else's dog acts stupid and tries to attack. They instinctively understand, when I pull them back, that they are not to fight - and if the other person doesn't quickly get their dog under control by PUTTING IT ON A FUCKING LEASH, I then give them some slack and let them fight back for a few seconds, before pulling them back a second time. The other dog always gets the message, and so does the owner.

      This happens once or twice a decade. Last month, stupid guy thought it was funny to show off how scary his Doberman was to his friends by letting it off its' leash to go after my dogs while I was walking them. Stupid retard. When he was too slow to put the leash back on, I let the dogs have some slack again. He got the message - keep your Doberman under control and properly leashed, or next time I'll let mine defend themselves, and you'll have a dead dog, a nice bill from my vet, probably a big chunk of your own ass missing, AND some explaining to do to the police (all dogs are required to be leashed here, an the owners of unleashed dogs that attack are prosecuted). He's a bully, and like all bullies, when you stand up to them, they turn out to be cowards. He said he was going to put a bullet in my head, but he's made sure he and his dog are now really scarce, so everyone else can walk their dogs in peace again.

      The first time I had to do this sort of thing was almost 20 years ago, when the owners of a Great Dane were literally terrorizing all the other dog owners in the neighborhood. Their dog would lunge after everyone's dogs and try to bite them. First time it went after mine, I pulled him back and told them to keep their dog under control. Second time, a week later, I let him have his slack. Great Danes might be big, but they're not much of a match for a Newfie. After about 15 seconds, I pulled him back again, and told them that if it EVER happened again, I would slip his chain completely off. After that, they took to walking their dog elsewhere, and everyone else was happy.

      The point is, I shouldn't HAVE to do stupid shit like that. I want my dogs as PETS. I want them to be good around other animals, and around people. I shouldn't have to let them defend themselves against other people's out-of-control animals. People should keep their animals under control, for everyone's benefit. If you can't control it, you shouldn't have it. If it's not socialized to be safe around people, then don't bring it where people go. If you don't want it pick up after it (dog or cat), then give it to someone who will, and stop creating a nuisance. If your ego is so weak that you have to have a "tough fighting dog", go get a prescription for Viagra.

      Obviously I don't hate animals. I *do* hate that people can't control theirs, or act irresponsibly with respect to them, creating either a nuisance or a danger for others.

    12. Re:Get a leash! by dissy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      We wouldn't put a GPS on a 5-year-old kid and let them run loose in the streets, thinking "It's okay now, they have GPS!"

      I think you waaaaay over estimate most Americans there.

    13. Re:Get a leash! by tomatensaft · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Same as squrrels, foxes, seagulls and occasionally bears?

    14. Re:Get a leash! by tomhudson · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They're called domesticated so that we can feel better about how we treat them. So yes, it is for a reason. But cats are still wild beasties. The only reason they don't eat your face when they're mad at you is that they are too small.

      I guess you have pretty stupid cats. We had one when we wer a kid that knew how to turn on the water when it wanted a drink, could use the toilet same as a human (which was really funny one night when our mother went into the bathroom w/o turning on the light, and sat down - and the cat ended up in the bowl :-), and would even try to flush it (wasn't able to, though).

      We're not the only ones who had cats that were literally toilet-trained. They can learn. Heck, there was one feral cat a few years ago that took a liking to me, to the point that when I was petting it and a neighbor's dog (a little thing) came running over, the cat immediately got up and ran between me and the dog, and wouldn't let it come near. That doesn't sound like a cat that would eat my face. It wasn't being territorial - when I wasn't around, the dog was free to wander over. It probably just sensed, same as most animals do, that I like animals.

  3. What's next? by rnturn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Tracking our goldfish?

    Getting a little desperate in the Marketing Dept. for ideas on what to use GPS for?

    Personally, I can't see the benefit for our household. The cats are either in the cat box, under a bed sleeping, or eating, or staring out a window at leaves rustle or at birds. If we had outdoor cats (unlikely seeing as how coyotes have moved into the area) it might make some sense if we had extra money laying around and we couldn't think of anything better to use it on. For most people, though, I think this a laughable idea.

    Now if I were a cattle rancher, I could see maybe spending some money in order to track the cattle but I have a feeling it might be cheaper to just have the cowhands track 'em. They'd have to be around anyway to round the critters up in the event they were to go astray.

    I'd guess that this will wind up getting sold in some high-end catalog. I could easily see J. R. Bigbucks buying one of these in order to brag to his friends at the country club that they know where little Fluffy is to within 3 meters.

    --
    CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
  4. Best possible use by EdIII · · Score: 5, Funny

    Track the squirrels. Those little bastards are up to something.

  5. Re:Are they by masonc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    >they're both probably going to be equally inaccurate and in the same direction

    No, they will be randomly inaccurate. However, if you have lost your beloved pet, 60 ft is close enough to tell you where it is.

    --
    CM www.cometenergysystems.com Blog: http://caribbeanrenewable.blogspot.com/
  6. Re:Are they by arndawg · · Score: 2, Funny

    My left hand?

  7. Re:Are they by masonc · · Score: 3, Informative

    You are confusing inherently inaccurate devices with Differential GPS systems. In Differential GPS, the base station is located at a precisely known position and it constantly calculates the accuracy of the GPS measurement and broadcasts a correction signal. The location of the roving station is calculated relative to the base station using the correction signal as both know the measured location and the amount by which it is likely to be inaccurate.
    This technique is used to establish highly accurate relative measurements, such as mapping a construction site. In these cases, absolute accuracy is irrelevant, the project can be feet away from where it is measured to be and no-one will care, but each building, pipe, duct will be placed to sub-centimeter accuracy relative to a known point on the site.
    The correction can be applied in real time or in post-processing.

    --
    CM www.cometenergysystems.com Blog: http://caribbeanrenewable.blogspot.com/
  8. That is not correct here around by aepervius · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The animal pound usually do not pick up cat with a tatoo in the ear, or when they do they contact the person to which it is registered. Lately they even have programs with those chips, but I prefer a visible tatoo. What you have at the pound are most probably either stray cat, or abandoned animals, and that happen all too often with cats and dogs (neat and nice while small, and once they reach 1 year old or the next summer holiday, left over the side of the road, I wish I could have a few word with people doing that type of shit). Most people which have cat I know of, try to get their cat to come back home in the evening. So again yowling cat outside are most probably not a home cat. As for killing birds, well you realize that cats in the wild DO eat birds, rodent and various small animals, right ?

    --
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    1. Re:That is not correct here around by tomhudson · · Score: 3, Interesting

      All the municipalities here have contracts with vrious animal shelters. It doesn't matter whether the dog or cat is chipped, tattooed, or has a tag - they're picked up when someone complains, and the owner is fined $300 plus costs.

      If you decide to take the animal to the city instead of having the pound pick it up, the owner can pick it up from the city holding area if it's not more than a few hours, but they still have to pay a fine.

      Responsible pet ownership includes not letting pets run free in an urban environment.

      Most people which have cat I know of, try to get their cat to come back home in the evening

      ... and how do they accomplish this magic trick? Did they give the cat a cell phone so they can consult their GPS? :-) It's hard enough getting kids to come home on time.

      What you have at the pound are most probably either stray cat, or abandoned animals, and that happen all too often with cats and dogs (neat and nice while small, and once they reach 1 year old or the next summer holiday, left over the side of the road, I wish I could have a few word with people doing that type of shit).

      Animals end up at the pound for all sorts of reasons. My St. Bernard and my original Newfie were both pound dogs. My current Newfie is a rescue dog. My wolf's also "sort of rescued dog". Only the last of those was dumped on me as a "pup." A lot of adult dogs get abandoned because people's lives get f*ed up. Divorce, financial setbacks, having to move to a new location that doesn't allow pets, allergies, kids, ...

      Then, as you say, there are the assholes, like the people who chained 2 St. Bernards in a rising river and left them to drown. It was only luck that someone saw them. Or the asshats who breed dogs for a quick buck, and the ones that they can't sell off, they leave outside in unheated barns in 30 below weather with minimal food - if they survive ... but many don't.

      Kennel Clubs are a big part of the problem, creating artificial demand for "pure-breds" of dubious quality that then end up getting dumped. And people who buy these dogs as "status animals."

      The average lifespan of a domestic dog, all things considered, is only 3 years. A *lot* of them never see their second birthday because they've become "inconvenient" before then. Most people could learn a lesson or two about loyalty from their pets.

  9. Re:Are they by koiransuklaa · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sorry but I don't think I'm confusing things. I'm quite familiar with DGPS having used it numerous times, both automatic systems and "self built" setups where the corrections are done at a later time.

    You claimed that two GPS devices "will be randomly inaccurate". I only pointed out that this is incorrect as part of the error does correlate with position (and time) so two devices in the same area at the same time will have more similar errors than devices further apart. You implied I'm somehow wrong, but I notice you didn't actually tell me how...

    I have no idea if this has any relation to finding ones pet, but the point still stands.

  10. Re:Are they by masonc · · Score: 2, Informative

    One has to be stationary.

    --
    CM www.cometenergysystems.com Blog: http://caribbeanrenewable.blogspot.com/
  11. On The Internet... by cstacy · · Score: 2, Funny

    On the Internet
    No one knows where your dog is
    Or maybe they do

  12. Be Careful! by nmos · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm too cheap to buy a dedicated device so when I saw that Verizon had a free demo of their Chaperone app (track your kid's cell phone etc) I was in business. I just taped my cell phone to the cat and let him out. It worked out great and I learned a lot about my cat's habits. Watching him jump when I called him was hilarious! Unfortunately the day came when I had to remove the phone, and more importantly, the tape from the cat. Trust me, you don't EVER want to try to remove duct tape from a long haired cat!

    Just kidding, but I have thought about it a time or two.