Fetching Fido: Canine Facial Recognition App Helps Find Lost Dogs

Not all facial recognition systems are for spying on you, or for ratting you out when you don't go to church.  Sometimes, just sometimes, the system can be of use.  Particularly, when it doesn't focus on people...

"Don't worry, ma'am.  We'll find him.  If not by sniff, then the internet."
(Image courtesy comicvine.com.)

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Animal Humane Society of the Twin Cities have been putting a twist on the conventional "Missing Dog" posters.   By uploading images of rescued dogs to the Finding Rover app, facial recognition technology can access a doggie database to help Rover come back over.

"What do you mean I'm on an NSA database too?  Eating shoes is legal in this state!"
(Image courtesy youtube.com.)

Also available in website form at findingrover.com,  the program helps to reunite pet owners with ducked-out dogs who may not have a collar or a microchip (or were found by people unable to scan a microchip.)  Owners can upload Fido's photos along with their zip code to help connect with whoever's back yard he ended digging up this time.  The search radius extends to over 2,000 miles.

Romantic dogs can stare longingly at the program, waiting to see if their lost love will ever return.
Pugs will always look that sad anyway, though.
(Image courtesy cutehomepets.com.)

A special "bark button" triggers the sound of a yelping puppy, so you can be sure to get a shot of Spot that encompasses all of his identifying features - all 125 of them that the program categorizes.  Finding Rover is thought to be 98% accurate for identification.

Just don't let them get away with trying to obscure their identity in the photo.
(Image courtesy geekologie.com.)

“The Animal Humane Society here will send us photos of all their animals on an hourly basis,” inventor John Polimeno said. ”So now when someone loses their pet, instead of having to drive to every shelter and walk every kennel, now all you do is search Finding Rover.”

Sorry, but obligatory.
(Image courtesy tamlinhouse.wikidot.com.)

So far, in the a year and a half that the app has been live, some 620 dogs have been reunited with their humans.  100,000 users in America and Australia have joined the community.

Yay, he was found safe!
And he never even had to resort to cage fighting to support himself on his own!
(Image courtesy pressdemocrat.com.)

Oh, and don't worry, stereotypical users of the internet...the cat version will be out in August.

Although cats are going to do whatever they want, regardless if you drag them back home.
(Image courtesy helendipity.wordpress.com.)