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Lost Dogs Easily Found With GPS Collar

W. David Gardner

Dog owners can text message or call into the American Kennel Club service to receive the location of their dogs.


See Spot run. See Spot run away. See Spot's GPS. See Spot found.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of a tiny GPS unit called SpotLight. The 2.5-ounce device, which easily attaches to a dog's collar, is scheduled to be marketed by the American Kennel Club beginning next month. The SpotLight will be priced at $250.


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Dogs can be located on the SpotLight Web site by cell phone, smartphone, or PC. Dog owners can text message or call into the American Kennel Club service to receive the location of their dogs "anytime, anywhere in the U.S. with pinpoint accuracy," according to a SpotLight spokesperson.

Owners can even establish their own SafeSpots -- safe locations set up by owners. When a dog leaves a SafeSpot, an alert is sent to its owners by text message or e-mail. Multiple alerts can be set up, for instance, if a dog leaves an owner's yard, and, again, if the dog leaves the owner's neighborhood.

Better yet, the service offers continuous tracking so owners can follow their pets' locations on a map as they roam about for up to a week. All SpotLight information -- alerts, SafeSpot locations, and location histories -- can be viewed from a single dashboard. American Kennel Club spotters are available every day around the clock to help owners locate and recover lost animals.

The device includes a bright LED light that's visible from 100 yards. The LED can be activated remotely by owners from their handsets or PCs. The light is activated by a simple text message, "Spot SpotLight On," and the LED beacon is instantly activated.


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