ID tag combines online and offline tools to help get lost pets home

We’ve seen a few different high-tech methods of keeping tabs on roaming pets–through GPS and RFID, in particular — but Canadian Blanket Online ID takes a different approach. Its BlanketID tag taps into the web to facilitate just about everything that could help a lost pet get home. Pet owners begin by purchasing a Canadian-made BlanketID tag for CAD 24.99 and then registering it with the British Columbia-based service. The tags come in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and CAD 3 from the sale price of each tag goes toward the company’s fund for animals in need. Included in that price is also the owner’s first year of membership in the BlanketID service. As part of the registration process, pet owners create an online record of their contact details as well as photos, medical notes and other details about their pet; that information is available for editing and updating as it changes over time, so new tags need never be ordered if an address or phone number changes. Should a pet with a BlanketID go missing, the owner simply notifies the service, and it will automatically send a broadcast email to the local SPCA, animal hospitals, shelters and other local BlanketID members. Included in that email is a link to the owner’s online data so that everybody has 24/7 access to all the information they might need to help identify the lost pet. Owners, meanwhile, can print a “Lost Pet” poster from their BlanketID.com account. When the pet is found, the finder can enter the BlanketID tag number at the company’s website to gain immediate access to all of the information they need to care for and safely return the pet. Traditional, engraved pet tags have room for limited information and can only help while they’re still on the pet, while the BlanketID’s online information means that shelters and vets can watch out for and identify a pet even if its collar is gone. Currently, the BlanketID broadcast service operates only in North America, which leaves plenty of opportunities for distributors in other parts of the world. Spotted by: Jamie Mollas