How NOSEiD Rescues Dogs

There are plenty of reasons to be fascinated by your dog’s nose. A dog’s sense of smell puts ours to shame. They use their noses to greet friends and meet strangers, and their sniffers are connected to entirely different parts of the brain than ours. But there’s one incredible aspect of your pup’s snout that you may not know about: The wrinkles on your dog’s nose are unique.

Even more amazing, these unique “noseprints” can be used to locate lost dogs. Despite the wide adoption of microchips and custom ID collars, research finds that in a 5 year period, owners have a 15% chance of losing their dog.* But a new app is aiming to help solve this crisis—and using noseprints to bring more pets home.

Opens a new windowhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494319/

Introducing NOSEiD

Imagine if something as simple as taking a picture could give your lost dog a better chance of being rescued. That’s the goal of NOSEiD. This new, free app is designed to scan and register the unique print made by a dog’s nose as a form of ID. It’s a simple system that helps put the person who finds a lost dog in contact with their owner as quickly as possible. Best of all, it’s surprisingly simple.

How NOSEiD Works

Step 1: Download the App

No surprises here. Head to your app store of choice and download it to your phone for free.

Step 2: Create Your Profile

When you open the app for the first time, you’ll be asked to enter some basic contact information that would help someone reach you if they found your lost dog. Then you’ll be asked a few questions about your dog(s) and have the opportunity to upload a few pictures of them if you choose. This info will only be visible to another user after the app has verified that they’ve located your dog.

Step 3: Scan Your Dog’s Nose

NOSEiD is designed to work with any size and breed of dog. Scanning your dog’s nose works almost exactly like taking a picture, and many of the same ideas apply. Try to find a spot with plenty of light, ideally outdoors on a bright day. Make sure your dog is sitting or standing still and facing the camera. When you start scanning, hold your phone upright and aim at the dog’s nose. Try to get as close as you can so the nose fills the entire frame. The app will offer some guidance to help you take the best picture possible.

Step 4: Enjoy Your Peace of Mind

With your dog successfully entered into the program, you can feel good knowing you’ve taken an extra step to protect them from being lost. If you never lose your dog or never find a lost dog, you can practically forget you have the app. However, if something does happen …

Step 5: Use the App to Rescue a Lost Dog

If you lose your dog, you can change your status in the app to let it know you’re searching. NOSEiD will then work to connect you with people who have found a lost dog near you. They’ll be asked a series of questions that will help identify whether the dog they’ve found could be yours. Once the app establishes a likely match, you’ll be put in contact and hopefully recover your dog quickly.

If you find a lost dog, the process works in mostly the same way. You’ll change your status to let NOSEiD know you’re searching for an owner, enter some information and let this impressive pet tech go to work.

Download NOSEiD Today

By downloading and joining this program, you’ll be helping to build a stronger network of pet owners and animal lovers. Every person who joins is another pair of eyes and ears around the country who can help fulfill our goal of preventing another lost pet.