When the Unthinkable Happens, New “Petco Love Lost” Database Uses Breakthrough Facial Recognition Technology to Find Missing Cats and Dogs in the Inland Valley.
April 22, 2021, Pomona, CA – On April 22rd, National Lost Dog and Cat Awareness Day, Inland Valley Humane Society & S.P.C.A. (IVHS) is proudly joining forces with Petco Love, formerly known as the Petco Foundation, a national non-profit working to lead and inspire change for animals, and animal welfare groups across the country, on a shared mission to help reunite lost pets with their families should they ever go missing. According to industry statistics, sadly, one in every three pets will go missing in their lifetime.
Petco Love Lost is a new, searchable national database that uses patented facial recognition technology to make finding lost pets quicker and easier. Beginning today, this simple-to-use tool will be easily accessible to participating animal organizations nationwide, as well as any pet parent or person who finds a lost pet. Uploaded photos of a missing dog or cat are immediately scanned to determine whether the lost pet is at a participating shelter or with a neighbor in the community.
“We help lost pets every day in hopes that their families may locate them at our shelter. Pets go missing from homes for a variety of reasons including curiosity about sights, sounds and smells or on accident because someone left a gate open, but our goal is always to reunite them with their owners,” says Nikole Bresciani, IVHS President/CEO. “Aside from animal adoption, helping a pet get back to their family is a priority for our organization. It allows potential adopters to focus on the pets that truly need a home—those that have no family looking for them. With the technology provided by Petco Love Lost, we are certain IVHS will be facilitating more happy reunions in the greater Los Angeles area.”
“We know that one in three pets goes missing in their lifetime, an estimated 10 million pets each year, and we’re not ok with that,” said President of Petco Love, Susanne Kogut. “That gives us 10 million reasons why we created Petco Love Lost, because we believe nothing is more important than keeping people and pets together for a lifetime of love. Together with the Inland Valley Humane Society & S.P.C.A., our goal is to keep pets where they belong – at home, with you.”
To learn more about IVHS, visit ivhsspca.org and follow @ivhsspca on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. If you’ve lost or found a pet, Petco Love Lost is here to help get them home. Visit https://lost.petcolove.org/ or join the conversation @PetcoLoveLost on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter via hashtags #PetcoLoveLost and #LoveandFound.
About Inland Valley Humane Society & S.P.C.A.
Established in 1949, the Inland Valley Humane Society & S.P.C.A. is a private, non-profit, full-access animal shelter dedicated to providing a safe refuge for animals in our community. Our mission to care for all animals is made possible by friends like you. Every day our dedicated staff ensures that every animal receives food, veterinary care and the attention they need until they can find a forever home. To learn more about us and stay up-to-date on rescue stories, adoptions, how to support our animals and more, visit ivhsspca.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
About Petco Love (Formerly Petco Foundation)
Petco Love is a nonprofit changing lives by making communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing nearly $300 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.5 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. Today, our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us. Is love calling you? Join us. Visit petcolove.org or follow at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we’re leading every day.
DONATEThe Inland Valley Humane Society and S.P.C.A. is a private, non-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to providing protection, shelter and medical care to abandoned and injured animals of our community. For more information, contact IVHS at info@ivhsspca.org or by phone at 909-623-9777.
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