I've often wondered about whether or not I would enjoy a GPS tracker for my dogs. Namely Lula, as she loves sitting outside in our yard, but after the one time she broke through the fence, I have to check on her about every 15 minutes, so I know she's still out there. A doggie GPS alert and tracker would help me to know that she's there (or not!) and I could relax inside.
Ironically, I got an email from the folks at SpotLight today, suggesting we check out their new GPS system. The lightweight pack attaches to their collar. You assign your pet safe spots, say your yard or the dogpark. The tracker sends you a text message or email when your pet leaves the primary (or even secondary) location. From there, you can track your pet (even tell if he's moving in a car as opposed to running free) and even activate the spotlight on the box, which I think would help you find your pet in a dark or wooded area.
If your dogis lost, one of their operators will help you locate them using the GPS. Cooler still-if someone finds your dog, they just press the "Rescue" button and it calls the service and sends you a message, so you're notified of your pet's location right away.
I'm pretty impressed. I've wondered why I see so few people using pet GPS systems (I see a lot of these on the clearance racks in pet stores too) so with the new features that the SpotLight has, I think the usage will start to increase. (view the product tour.)
Now, here's what I see as the catch: $199.99 is the introductory price for the unit, and the only monthly service plan available right now is $14.99, and allows for unlimited event notifications. ($7.99 is coming, and allows for up to 25 events per year, which would be more than enough for most dogs I know). This product costs more than the GPS navigator I just bought, and has the monthly service plan on top of it.
So, I guess the costs are still a bit high for products in this area, but I am glad to see the products and services seem to be advancing. It's a good use of the technology, and although my dogs aren't what I'd call wanderers, if I had fence jumping renegades, I'd probably be interested in this. What do you think? Would your dogs benefit from this?
