New App Helps Lost Dogs Reunite with Their Families Using a Canine's Unique Nose Print

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For National Pet ID Week, IAMS has developed a creative way to identify dogs and keep them from getting lost for long.

According to a release from the pet brand, 10 million pets are reported lost or stolen in the U.S. every year. To help combat this scary statistic, IAMS created its NOSEiD app — a beta version of which is currently available in Nashville and the surrounding area.

The app works by relying on helpful animal lovers and a pooch's nose print. Like the human fingerprint, each dog's nose print (the patterned texture on the tip of a pup's snout) is unique, making it a great, non-invasive way to identify your pet.

Dog owners can download the app and create a profile for their pooch, which includes a scan of their dog's nose — captured by the app's first-of-its-kind nose-scanning smartphone technology — along with photos and a physical description of their canine.

If a dog registered with the NOSEiD app goes missing, their owner can report their dog as lost through the app, and NOSEiD will instantly send a missing dog alert to other NOSEiD app users in their community so that they can be on the lookout.

Anyone who finds the lost dog can use the app to check and make sure they have the right pup by scanning the dog's nose and seeing if it matches the NOSEiD on file. If the nose print matches that of a missing dog, the finder can connect with the dog's family through the app.

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"Pets are irreplaceable family members, and with the NOSEiD app, we're hoping to help keep more pets in their loving homes and out of shelters — taking another step toward our goal of ending pet homelessness," Craig Neely, vice president of marketing at Mars Petcare, said in a statement. "The app is designed to be a community resource, so whether someone has a dog or not, they'll be able to join the NOSEiDcommunity to help reunite lost dogs with their families in their own neighborhood."

The NOSEiD app is available for Apple and Android devices. To learn more, visit IAMS.com/NOSEiD.