Are you an animal lover looking for peace of mind in pet care ?
Look no further as Smart Pet IDs are here to provide you with the solution. A Smart Pet ID is like your pet’s passport. It contains all of their important information and keeps them safe. No matter how far they travel, ensuring it will return home safely if ever lost.
Yesterday my husband Ricardo and I watched the movie Dog Gone. The true story of Gonker, a goofy but beloved dog with Addison’s disease. Who got lost on the Appalachian trail in October 1998. The movie is based on the book from Pauls Toutonghi. Dog Gone: A Lost Pet’s Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home.
The movie was a tearjerker for me in many different ways:
- I connected with the pet owner’s devotion to putting his own needs aside to search for his best friend in the world.
- The movie also made me think about the moments of stress and how easily it’s to give out our information without much thought.
- Although I believe in people’s good intentions, at the same time, unfortunately, we live in a world plagued with hackers, scammers, and Cybermonsters that look for many ways to get our information to commit fraud, identity theft, or other crimes.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft is a serious crime that can have devastating consequences for victims. It occurs when someone uses another person’s personal information. Such as their Social Security number, date of birth, or bank account numbers, to commit fraud or deception. Identity thieves can use this information to open new financial accounts in the victim’s name. Make purchases with their credit cards, receive medical care with their health insurance, or withdraw cash from their bank accounts.
Sadly, identity theft can happen every 2 seconds. It happened to me and the consequences can be devastating, my nightmare lasted six long years.
So imagine the stress of dealing with your beloved pet missing. And be also the target of potential fraud, crimes and id theft. Pet tags contain information that could be used against you, let’s explore more below.
Are traditional Id tags for pets enough? are they safe?
A collar and ID tag are essential pieces of identification for pets that could get lost. The collar contains an ID tag with the name and contact information. Including phone number and location of the pet’s owner. So if someone finds a wayward pet, they can easily return it. The problem is that they aren’t smart and that they could give away more information about you. Instead of being a tool that allows you to easily locate your missing furry friend.
How To Protect Your Identity In The Case Of A Lost Pet?
The best way to protect your identity is to be intentional about the kind of information you share publicly. About your family, your location, your phone number. And any other detail that can be used against you and compromise the safety, privacy and wellbeing of your family or loved ones. Did you know that 1 in six people use their pet names as a password? I didn’t know! I wonder how many are using their pet names as part of the answers to their most important security questions. If that’s you in any case, I encourage you to change it. Pick one account that is very important to you and create a password that is effective and you won’t be able to forget. Read this article for more details about how to put more meaning into your passwords. https://sandraestok.com/put-more-meaning-into-your-passwords/
What are Smart Pet ID?
A Smart Pet ID is essentially a digital form of identification for dogs, cats and pets in general. It’s used to store important data, such as their name, address and contact information of its human companion. The information is then stored on a wearable tag or embedded chip that can easily be scanned by anyone with a smartphone using a QR code. After all the changes with the pandemic we got very familiar with QR codes at restaurants, malls and public places. Having the smart ID makes it easier for pet owners to reunite with their beloved furries if they ever get lost.
How Does It Work?
Smart Pet IDs make use of special codes and IDs to track your beloved mascot itself as well as its owner. The code and ID are registered online and the system– makes it easy to access and update contact details whenever required. When another person scans your pet’s tag with their smartphone, the scan will pull up all pertinent information about your furry friend, including any rewards offered for its safe return, in turn minimizing the chance of them being taken away by someone else, adopted out or left on the street.
Benefits of Using Smart Pet IDs
The biggest benefit of using a smart pet ID is that it makes it easier to reunite lost pets with their families quickly and efficiently than traditional methods like microchips alone can offer.
Other benefits include:
- Accurate tracking information – From raw geographical coordinates are like digital breadcrumbs that give an approximate location of where they last were seen (rendered via maps)— you can follow to find out exactly where your pet has been or predict where they might be in the future.
- Privacy of your information. No more poster signs with your phone information or address available everywhere. When pets get lost usually a reward is offered, this is an easy way for scammers to deceive desperate pet owners into believing they have their pet.
- Added security against identity theft – As mentioned previously, some people are cautious of carrying expensive accessories like collars and tags due to fear of theft or losing their pets; however, anything containing personal identifiable information can be used by poachers or thieves to know more about you and your family. For example, putting your phone number on your dog’s collar is a great way to ensure that you can be contacted if your pup ever gets lost. However, anyone will know your phone number which means scammers could easily target you, so with a smart pet ID you can protect your information as only a QR code is displayed.
This week in my podcast Cyber Mindful with Sandra, I had the privilege to interview Pamela Fusco. Founder and CEO of ZuluTails and we discussed the topic of Smart Pet ID’s. Pam shares her journey in the world of cybersecurity as the leader of large and global organizations, her work in the government and real stories about victims that lost their pets and their risk of identity theft and the solution she created with ZuluTails.
What is ZuluTails?
ZuluTails is an innovative pet-to-people communications portal. That provides a safe, easy and instant way for pet owners to connect with their furry friends. When you sign up for an annual membership. They send you a pet tag lasered with a unique seven-digit number (known as the “universal pet identifier” or UPI) and a QR code that links to their website. This allows anyone who finds your pet to quickly access your contact information and other important details about your pet.
In addition, ZuluTails also prompts you to take a few minutes to set up your pet’s personal portal with a photo, name, breed, medical conditions. And the best way to contact you. This ensures that if your pet ever goes missing, anyone can use their cellphone or computer to type in your pet’s UPI into the ZuluTails “pet finder” on their website and be able to locate pets quickly. With ZuluTails, you can rest assured knowing that if anything happens to your beloved companion, they will be found safely and returned home as soon as possible.
How did ZuluTails start?
While in the Navy, Pamela Fusco was a White House cryptologist. The idea behind the company was solidified two years ago when Pamela’s sister-in-law’s beloved dog went missing. Despite posting flyers around town, all she received were prank calls or requests for personal information. This experience made Pamela realize that there was a need for a service like ZuluTails. Which could help reunite lost pets with their owners without the need to share personal information.
Pamela Fusco had a vision to create a company. That would provide an easy, reliable and secure way to connect pets with their owners. With her background in cybersecurity and her passion for animals, ZuluTails was born.
I invite you to take advantage of the solutions available in the digital world. Like ZuluTails to protect your furry friends, so that you and your family can avoid the stress, pain and suffering. If your mascot ever gets lost. At the same time using ZuluTails means that you are taking the necessary steps to protect your family’s precious information from the dangers of identity theft, scams and other unnecessary risks online. Visit ZuluTails here https://www.zulutails.com/
Please tell me more about your relationship with your pets and how important they are in your life. Remember, you are in charge of your cyber safety!
You may also like to read :- What is Data Privacy Day? | Sandra Estok
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