JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One out of three pets are lost in their lifetime, and less than a fourth are ever reunited with their owners, according to the American Humane Association.
The Jacksonville Humane Society is participating in a new national lost pet database launching Friday and organized by Petco.
Joyce Thompson loves her two rescue dogs. Patton is a Great Dane and Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, and Zeke is a Black Labrador Retriever mix.
“Dogs can wander pretty far, or someone can pick them up and take them wherever they live," Thompson said.
Now pet owners like Thompson have another tool if their beloved dog or cat goes missing.
“Today we are participating in the launch of Petco Love Lost. It is a national database of lost and found pets," said Lindsay Layendecker, assistant development director at the Jacksonville Humane Society.
The database uses facial recognition to analyze your pet's facial structure and find possible matches in the area.
“I’m going to sign up today," Thompson said. "Absolutely! We do have a fenced yard, but you never know. They might see something and dig a hole out or jump over the fence or go out through the front door.”
“We have seen people coming in every day looking for their lost dog or cat," Layendecker said "We are just hopeful that this is a tool that the community will utilize. The more people that use it, the more reunions we can do.”
You can register your pet in the database by clicking here.