Online platform now helps reunite both cat and dog owners with lost pets

PetRadar (previously CatRadar), an online platform designed to help reconnect pet owners with lost pets,¹ has expanded its offerings so that it now serves both missing cats and dogs.

PetRadar helps support cats owners' search with sponsored social media posts (All images photo courtesy of PetRadar).

"After finding our 8000^th missing cat, I knew we needed to start saving dogs, too!" expressed David Olthaar, founder and CEO of PetRadar, in a company release.²

David Olthaar, founder and CEO of PetRadar, with a cat.

At least 15% of cat owners lose their pet in a 5-year period and some are never found, according to research published in Animals.³ Additionally, the American Humane states⁴ that approximately 10 million pets are lost in the United States each year.

To address this problem, 2 years ago, Olthaar “saw yet another blurry missing cat poster on a dark rainy night”² and figured there must be a more effective way to reunite lost cats with their owners by leveraging the digital world. With the help of his best friend, they used sponsored posts on social media to advertise a missing cat in a 1km (~0.6 mi) radius surrounding the last seen address. "We wanted to use social media ads for good. And what's better than reuniting lost pets with their owners?" expressed Olthaar, in the release.²

Quickly, the duo found their first cat. "I remember when the first sighting of a lost cat came in. I couldn't believe it. Reuniting them was a beautiful moment. I was even invited for dinner as a thank you!” added Olthaar.

This small project among friends became a successful online system worldwide to help find missing pets. This inspired Olthaar to change the name of the platform from CatRadar to PetRadar. The first dog has been found, and Olthaar is positive there are many more to come.²

PetRadar features both free and premium services on its website. The free services include a printable poster, personal support & guidance, and a listing on PetRadar’s website. The premium features include all of those along with sponsored posts on social media, a personal dashboard, and notifications via text messages.¹

References

1. Instant help to find your lost pet. PetRadar. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.petradar.org/en
2. One idea reunited 8,000 missing cats, now it's rescuing dogs too. PetRadar. News release. October 20, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2023.https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/one-idea-reunited-8-000-missing-cats-now-its-rescuing-dogs-too-301963181.html
3. Huang L, Coradini M, Rand J, et al. Search methods used to locate missing cats and locations where missing cats are found. Animals (Basel).2018;8(1):5. doi: 10.3390/ani8010005
4. “Every day is tag day” — is your pet protected? American Humane. April 1, 2019. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.americanhumane.org/blog/every-day-is-tag-day-is-your-pet-protected