Dogs and cats are more than just furry creatures roaming your home. They’re family. You want to keep them safe at all times, and ensure they’re happy and healthy. One gadget that’s keen to help you with all those concerns is Nuzzle — a smart GPS collar that’s available in the perfect size for your pooch or feline friend.
The collar will track their location wherever they are, and it offers a geofencing feature gives you a head’s up on when they wander somewhere they’re not meant to go. The collar also monitors how active they are with more in depth readings like temperature and impact detection. It’s a lightweight and waterproof device that’s also durable enough to withstand anything your dog or cat might wish to do while wearing it.
Tied to a smartphone app, you can see just how far from home they are, how long they’ve been out and their current pace. If you’re at work, you can check to see how much time your pet has spent resting at home, or whether your cheeky cat has been out exploring for a while. It’s the kind of information that’s sure to give you some peace of mind for those times that you can’t be physically there. It all came about through the personal experiences of co-founders, Anthony Dubbaneh and Megan Rice.
“Growing up, my cofounder Megan and I have had unfortunate experiences dealing with lost and sick, struggling pets,” Dubbaneh says. “We grew up together and have always been very close friends, so these experiences are something we share and empathize with one another on.”
While plenty of technological advancements have been seen within the internet of things, it’s not been quite so significant within pet care. As Dubbaneh explained, “it bothered us that minimal innovation had been put toward pet wellness and reducing the number of strays.” Noticing a gap in the market, the pair decided to work toward a better future for beloved pets.
“We decided to use those upsetting memories and unsettling stats [of over 10 million dogs and cats being lost or stolen in the U.S. every year] as motivation to reimagine how we care and connect with our pets in the digital age.”
Working together with a team of pet lovers and innovators, including Matt Rolandson and Robert Brunner, founders of award-winning design studio Ammunition, the idea for Nuzzle began. The plan was to create the first subscription-free smart collar to ensure a healthy, happy and safe pet.
It’s been quite the success story with the product receiving numerous positive reviews. That’s helped in part by the significant geographical area the collar covers. Pets can be tracked anywhere in North America (Canada, U.S. and Mexico) no matter where the owner is, via an embedded SIM card that provides dual-band 3G cell connectivity. The owner can check in from anywhere they want, providing they have internet access for their smartphone. You could be on the other side of the world, but still be able to check in real-time exactly what your pet is all via a smartphone app. That’s impressive for a product that doesn’t require a subscription fee.
Nuzzle also now offers optional pet insurance coverage integrated within the Nuzzle app. Through its partner, Embrace, you can arrange no-obligation quotes, purchase insurance and file or manage claims through the app.
“We wanted to take full advantage of technology and what it has to offer for our pets. With a connected device, we wanted to help pet owners monitor and manage all areas of health and wellness beyond just their location,” Dubbaneh says. “Part of creating a wellness wearable, rather than just a tracking device, is making sure owners are aware of and have access to pet insurance.”
One common issue with pet insurance, as Dubbaneh noted, is the lack of transparency and accessibility. “Being able to offer quality pet insurance allowed us to provide a holistic solution to how owners can care — and access care — for their pets,” he says.
It’s an effective combination of products for those that want to keep their pet happy and healthy. The collar is available to purchase from the Nuzzle website, in a choice of orange or purple and a variety of sizes, for $189.99. Each collar comes with a charging station, along with 2 rechargeable batteries, and a personal collar attachment for those that want to continue using their existing collar.