Calling Fido
New cell phone by
PetsMobility lets you
chat with your pet... any time
by Maria Coder
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Oh come on, give your dog a phone. No, not a bone. A phone. Haven't you heard? It's the latest thing.
It's called a PetCell and this fall it'll be the must-have item for any pup that's anypuppy. The stylish 5 by 3 inch phone looks like a dog bone and attaches to your dog's collar. The phone auto-answers (like a speakerphone) when a dog's owner calls. The dog's owner (a.k.a. you) can then speak to the dog and listen in on his or her whereabouts. The device also features a nifty call-back button so if the dog is lost, whoever finds your pup can call you right away.
Despite the hype, Cameron Robb, PetCell inventor and director of Petsmobility.com says he kind of stumbled on the idea. "I was on a business trip with a friend of mine and I overheard him in the hotel room leaving a message for his dog on the answering machine. I thought that was kind of amusing." He started asking around and found that many pet parents feel guilty leaving their pets home alone and often call to leave messages. That could be a lot of phone calls considering that the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association says there are more than 73 million owned-dogs in the U.S alone. Think about it: how often do you leave a message for your pooch? Maybe you call and ask someone to put your pooch on the phone? Go on, admit it.
"When you say to someone, 'I'm buying a cell phone for my pet', they laugh. But when they really see the features of the phone they realize it's not a novelty. It's a safety device and it provides people with peace of mind," says Cameron. Despite the skepticism, Cameron says response from pet parents has been overwhelming. "Our web site gets millions of hits. This is a really popular idea." Petsmobility is now branding itself as product manufacturer for people and pets on the go.
While a lot of the technology is very similar to a phone you or I would use, there are some dog-specific bells and whistles. Fido's phone is waterproof and scratch resistant with an easy-to-read LCD display. It also doesn't heat up during use. Perhaps one of the best features is the Incoming Number Protection (that's INP in petnology terms) that lets you control who calls your dog (telemarketers don't stand a chance). "Whatever numbers you program are the ones that can reach your dog. The phone also auto answers after one ring but you can program the rings."
Just like cell phones for humans, there are different cell phone models for pets. Some of the more high-tech phones will feature a Global Positioning System - allowing you to log on to a computer and track your dog. And much like the ring tones, you can set your own safety parameters. "You can tell us, if my dog wanders outside of these 2 blocks I want an alert and you'll get a call on your cell phone, it's called a geo fence."
Computer-savvy pet parents will love the do-it-yourself capabilities. Dog owners can track their dog on a map down to the street corner with the click of a button. A few extra steps and you can control the volume on your dog's phone, the number of times it rings before your dog "picks up" and even set up alerts for your own specific needs. If you're really not that into technology yourself, PetCell's staff can do most of it for you over the phone.
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PetCell can also talk to you via your cell, if you're out and about. Say Fido takes an unsupervised stroll and you haven't set up a geo fence, PetCell's customer service will send a text message to your phone with your dog's chosen path.
"We're really selling peace of mind," says Cameron, proud parent to a mini Poodle named Cooper. Cameron knows well that for many people, pets are like children. He expects pet cell phones to change our approach to responsible pet parenting. "Gone are the days of running up and down the street calling out your puppy's name. Now you can just call your dog. Like on the phone. Call him." If it sounds like your pooch is in a park or out of harm's immediate way, you may be able to issue a command, like "sit", by phone. Things like pin-ups and flyers looking for missing pups may also fall to the wayside. "If your dog is lost and found by someone else it's a lot easier to press a button than to walk the neighborhood trying to find the dog's owner."
The phones can also be life savers in other ways. "You can program it to tell you when the temperature in a room reaches 90 degrees, for instance, and you'd get a voicemail on your phone letting you know. Keeping an eye on the temperature is an important feature, especially over summer months where dogs can sometimes be exposed to too much heat. In fact, The United States Humane Society has many warnings for pet parents that swing into high alert from June through August. The most stern is to monitor your pet's time in the sun and to limit outdoor activity.
Temperature sensors are just one of the several add-on features available for the pet cell phones. GPS tracking chips and fibre optic cameras are other streamlined amenities. A basic phone will cost about $300. There are also some ultra high-tech phones used by military bomb dogs with all sorts of features, though those won't be available for the dog next door.
And just like regular cell phones, you will have to charge the battery. "You won't be using as much talk time so in general the battery life should last 10 days," says Cameron.
The service costs for the phone are still in the works but will start around $10 per month. Petsmobility is gearing up for its big North American launch this September and is busy striking deals with cell phone providers nationwide. The Arizona-based company will also set up its own cellular network and will provide package plans. It expects to launch internationally in the New Year. Cameron has been in talks with service providers in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other places.
Fortunately, unlike your cell phone, your pup won't ever have to worry about going over his minutes... to Fido, "rollover" means something completely different.
