ForPaws: Mars Petcare brings AI-based app to track lost pets

Initially, ForPaws works only in Bengaluru and also users can register only the dogs

ForPaws app available on both Google Play and Apple App Store. [Screen-grab: Mars Petcare/YouTube]

Leading pet food company, Mars Petcare on Wednesday (November 17) launched the Artificial Intelligence-powered ForPaws app in Bengaluru.

"With the increase in smartphone penetration and sharp drop in internet data costs, more and more services are leveraging smart tech to solve consumer pain points. With ForPaws we want to leverage facial recognition technology and a network of pet lovers to solve a serious problem of tracking missing pets and helping them find their way home,” said Mohit Arora, Global Digital Marketing Lead, Mars Petcare.

The novel ForPaws app works on bespoke facial recognition technology to create a smart ID. It is believed that the nose tips of the dogs, like the human fingerprints, are unique to that specific animal.

Besides the nose tip, ForPaws is capable of identifying other unique facial traits including the colour of the skin, and fur type, in addition to the pet breed. The parents will be asked to upload at least three to four photos to create a unique profile of the pet.

If the parent loses a pet in the city, they can mark it as lost on the ForPaws app. With a wide network of kind pet parents and rescuers in the cities, the ForPaws app can help quickly identify, locate, and reunite lost pets with their families.

For now, ForPaws works only in Bengaluru and also users can register only the dogs. Machine Learning tech enables the app to identify up to 130 different breeds and has more than 90 per cent match-rate.

ForPaws app is available on both Android and iOS versions on Google Play and Apple App Store, respectively.

Mars Petcare plans to bring support for cats and also expand the app's availability in more Indian cities in the near future.

Watch the ForPaws app demo here:

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