How does Pawscout work?

Pawscout uses a low-energy Bluetooth radio signal to produce short-range, radar-style tracking within approximately 300 feet of your smartphone. The Pawscout App can alert you if a pet moves into range (such as if a lost pet is near you) or out of range (if the outdoor virtual pet leash is enabled, but your pet strays). 

If you mark your pet as lost, you will be notified when they pass within range of anyone with the Pawscout App. A 300-foot range may not sound like much, but many lost pets remain surprisingly close to home--particularly lost cats, who often hide in silence in nearby areas. To best protect your pet, ask friends, family members, neighbors, and caretakers to install the Pawscout App.

Based on the strength of your Bluetooth signal, Pawscout provides an estimate about how far away from you your pet is. This estimate is represented both by a “cone of safety” that changes color and size, as well as numerically (ex: 7 ft away, 236 ft away).

Although your Tag does not use GPS, Pawscout does require both Bluetooth and GPS to function properly, since the map function in your phone relies on having Location Services enabled.

Coverage Map

In addition to showing you your pet, Pawscout’s map shows Pawscout coverage for your state, region, town, or even neighborhood, represented by the color blue. The bigger the blue, the more Pawscouters are around!

Lost Pets

If you mark your pet as lost, you will be notified when they pass within range of anyone with the Pawscout App. A 300-foot range may not sound like much, but many lost pets remain surprisingly close to home--particularly lost cats, who often hide in silence in nearby areas.

In addition, our Lost Pet Report feature helps you create a digital lost pet poster that you can share to your Pawscout social feed—and everywhere else.

To best protect your pet, ask friends, family members, neighbors, and caretakers to install the Pawscout App (Google Play Store or App Store).