I recently had the opportunity to house-sit for a family member and was responsible for caring for three dogs. During a discussion about house rules, we touched on pet safety, and what started as a chat about microchipping evolved into a dialogue about artificial intelligence and its application in tracking pets' locations and well-being. I hadn't given much thought to the potential role of AI in pet technology, but it seems to be making its way into many aspects of our lives. This curiosity led me to discover Petnow, an AI-based tech company that utilizes biometric scans of dogs' and cats' noses to ensure they remain identified and secure. Recognized as "Best of Innovation" at the 2022 CES Innovation Awards, Petnow was established in 2018 by Jesse Joonho Lim, aiming to provide an alternative to traditional pet identification methods like microchips, tags, and collars. Petnow claims to have developed an AI platform that captures your dog’s biometric details by scanning its nose with a smartphone camera; for cats, it focuses on facial features. Their deep learning model is designed to extract biometric data for the identification of individual pets. Currently, Petnow is available at no cost to users in 16 countries, with recent launches in Australia and New Zealand. The company asserts that its app boasts a 99. 9% accuracy rate in pet identification and verification. Additionally, Petnow can send alerts to neighbors if a pet goes missing, and it features PetWay, a community-oriented function in the app to facilitate the reunion of lost pets with their owners. Here’s how to create a biometric ID for your pet using Petnow: **Step 1:** Set up a profile in the app for your dog or cat, which requires five clear photos of the animal, along with its name, breed, sex, and date of birth. **Step 2:** After creating your pet's profile, initiate the noseprint scanning process. You’ll need your pet present for this step.

In a well-lit area, hold your phone about a foot away from your pet's nose and gently move it back and forth to start the AI scan. A "Tips" section at the top of the screen can assist if you encounter any difficulties. **Step 3:** Once the nose print scan is complete, your pet's biometric information will be added to the profile, and verification will be issued, detailing your pet’s identity. You have the option to obtain a nose print ID along with your pet's personal registration number. You can then use the app in practical situations, like reporting a missing pet or sharing a sighting through a photo or biometric nose print scan via the Petnow app (this feature isn’t specifically labeled as PetWay as it is on the website). Within the app, you’ll find Petnow Tips, a blog addressing common queries regarding dogs and cats, an FAQ section explaining how AI enhances the pet identification process, and a vague notice indicating that your data is secure, though it lacks specifics on how that is achieved. Should you consider using Petnow to safeguard your pets? Although Petnow was founded in 2018, the app only launched in 2023. Due to its recent introduction, I couldn’t find case studies or testimonials to confirm whether Petnow effectively replaces other pet ID technologies, such as microchips. Following the trend of newer pet-tech companies recognized at CES, I would feel more reassured about Petnow if it provided a membership plan—this would allow profits to be directed toward improving the technology and platform. Given the limited information available on Petnow, it’s challenging to assess its true effectiveness. I still find it hard to understand how a quick scan of my pet's nose could ensure their safety while also safeguarding the privacy of pet owners.