The pet care sector is undergoing a digital revolution, and smart technology is transforming how pet owners monitor and care for their pets. The pet tracker apps have become an indispensable part of their networked ecosystem due to the increased levels of pet ownership and the increasing levels of pet safety anxiety.
This boom is evident in the global pet wearables and tracking market, which is estimated to be $2.89 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $7.8 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 15.2%. To businesses, this is an interesting offering to venture into a fast-growing market where innovation is combined with real consumer need, and profitability alongside purpose is achieved.
An Introduction To The Pet Tracker App
A pet tracker app is a platform that links a GPS unit, which is usually fixed to a pet's collar, to locate the pet's live location. The apps not only help owners to be assured of their pets' safety but also allow the pet owners to view the location of the pets, create virtual "safe zones" with notifications, and frequently provide the option of the pet's activity and health data management.
Nowadays, pet tracker apps are becoming very popular as more people use technology for pet care. Businesses and startups can invest in apps such as pet trackers, dog walking apps like Uber, or AI-based pet care apps to capitalize on this growing market.
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How Does a Pet Tracking App Function?
Have a look at the following steps that explain the way in which the pet tracker app works:
1. Data collection by the device
The little gadget is placed on the pet's collar and is technologically designed to track its whereabouts and wellness. It is quite lightweight and easy to wear.
2. Location tracking
GPS links to the satellites to locate the exact location of the pet on the Earth. WiFi or the Bluetooth system is used in place of GPS, which is weak indoors.
3. Health and activity monitoring
Such devices have built-in sensors that keep a record of the pet's movement, heartbeat, and body temperature. The animal's daily life, e.g., walking, playing, and sleeping, is being monitored by it.
4. Data transmission to the cloud
The device uses cellular networks (e.g, 4G or 5G) to connect to the internet. As a rule, such a service goes along with a monthly subscription fee.
5. Data processing by the software
The raw data are sent to cloud servers, which convert them into useful information. The application converts GPS numbers into map positions and examines health trends.
6. Display on the mobile app
With a mobile application, pet owners are able to view the real-time location, activity, and health information of their pet at any time.
What Are The Advantages Of A Pet Tracker App?
The pet tracker application offers an assurance to the owners, which enhances safety in new or busy locations. The following are some of its advantages:
| Benefit | Description |
| Pet Safety | Due to real-time GPS tracking, it is now possible to find your pet in real time in case they go away or are lost. Geofencing notifications will inform you as soon as your pet leaves the safe areas to avoid risky scenarios. |
| Health and Wellness | Also, watch the level of activity, sleeping habits, and calories burned by your pet daily so that he/she is getting enough exercise. The app will display your health metrics in real-time to monitor possible problems and report them to your veterinarian so that they can treat you better. |
| Peace of Mind | Always know where your pet is throughout any given time, doing away with the anxiety and stress of not knowing their location. You will sleep better knowing that you will get an instant notification when something out of the ordinary occurs with the area or activity of your pet at night. |
| Convenience | No call to make or neighborhood to visit, know the location of your pet and its health information anytime on your smartphone. Install automatic reminders for appointments, medications, and feeding regimens, among others, in the same centralized application. |
| Community | Meet other pet owners in the area to play with and get recommendations and pet advice. Get in touch with a supportive network that may be useful in finding lost pets through sharing alerts and sightings with them within their community. |
Core Capabilities Of The Pet Tracker App
The following are the user panel and admin panel features that a business can integrate into their pet tracker app:
User Panel Features
1. Live tracking
See your pet on a live map interface that will control his/her real-time position, and it will be constantly updated, to see exactly where he/she is.
2. Geofencing/safe zones
This enables you to make your own virtual fences around some parts, like your home, your yard, or your park, and you would be informed immediately when your pet is out of the area.
3. Lost and found assistance
Turn-by-turn navigation that will help you find your pet wherever it wanders or is lost, as far as the GPS position allows.
4. Location history
Checking the history of your pet reveals all the previous movements and locations covered by the pet in order to see its daily routines, preferred locations, and behavioral styles.
5. Pet profile management
Pet profile management functionality helps users create and maintain the profile of each pet with a picture, name, breed, age, weight, medical information, and favorite activities.
6. Multi-pet dashboard
View and control the whereabouts, activities, and health information of multiple pets at the same location, all displayed on one dashboard.
7. Battery status monitor
Trackers are going to have a live battery status to monitor the remaining battery capacity and send low-battery notices to maintain continuous tracking services.
8. Activity tracking
Keep track of the physical side of the pet through the recording of the number of steps, the distance, calories, active and rest periods, so the exercise intensity is always at an optimal level.
9. Health data management
Record and monitor health-related data, including changes in weight, vaccinations, visits to the veterinarian, and scheduled notifications.
10. Push notifications
Get immediate mobile notifications regarding important events such as safe zone violations, abnormal activity behavior, battery notifications, and health alerts.
11. Access sharing
Share viewing or monitoring access with family members, friends, pet sitters, or dog walkers so that a number of people can keep track of your pet.
12. Emergency contact setup
Identify emergency contacts, including their telephone numbers and email addresses, who shall be automatically notified in case your pet is reported as lost or out of the safe areas.
13. Community features
The community feature allows owners to share ideas, photos, tips, and more with millions of other pet owners.
Admin Panel Features
1. User and pet management
Creation, customization, deletion, or suspension of user accounts along with the corresponding pet profiles, tracking devices, and account permissions in the entire platform.
2. Device management
Admin can manage on, off, troubleshoot, and real-time monitoring of all tracking devices, such as connectivity, the firmware versions, and health state.
3. Payment management
Monitor, handle, and control subscription payments, billings, refunds, payment failures, and create financial statements for all user operations.
4. Content management
Add, modify, and work with system-wide content, including email templates, notification messages, map icons, branding components, and in-app educational materials.
5. Analytics and reporting
See detailed dashboards with information about the use of apps, patterns of user behavior, performance indicators on the device, and create your own reports to detect trends and areas of concern.
6. Security and data management
Establish and adhere to security measures, deal with encrypted information storage, regulate the availability of access, be GDPR compliant, and manage the data backup and recovery processes.
7. App updates and maintenance
Implement software updates, release new features, schedule the planned maintenance periods, and maintain versioning on the iOS and Android platforms.
8. Support and customer service
This is used to manage customer support tickets and to respond to user queries, help resolve technical problems, handle complaints, and keep a knowledge base of frequently encountered problems.
9. Emergency response integration
When pets are lost or injured as a result of an emergency, the application works with animal control, veterinary services, and emergency responders locally.
10. Geofencing management
Keep track of the performance of the geofencing system, help users with the configuration of the safe zones, and change the sensitivity, as well as solve the problems with the boundary detection in various places.
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More Innovative Ways In Which AI Enhances Pet Tracking Apps
The following are some of the innovative ways in which AI can enhance the pet tracker app:
1. Anomaly detection
AI compares vital signs, activity, and sleep patterns of a pet to detect abnormal variations that might be a sign of a health issue.
2. Personalized health insights
The app will be capable of giving personalized dietary and sports exercise recommendations depending on the data collected.
3. Proactive alerts
The app can give warning signs of the possible problems, like raising the resting heart rate of a pet or its decreased activity, and act in time.
4. Behavioral analysis
AI can be applied to analyze behavior and warn the owner of certain symptoms of anxiety, stress, or increased activity level.
5. Intelligent geofencing
The application establishes custom safe zones and provides instantaneous notifications in the event the pet exits the zone.
6. Predictive insights
AI can use previous data to predict the behavior of a pet or potential future risks (i.e., the propensity to wander in some places).
7. AI-powered symptom checker
There are apps that have a symptom checker where owners can feed symptoms, and the AI-powered symptom checker should advise on whether to call a vet.
8. Telemedicine integration
The application will be able to assist in triage cases, determining the urgency and providing a remote consultation with a specialist (veterinarian) through audio or video.
9. Multi-pet support
AI will be able to distinguish between the pets in a multi-pet home, which will give each pet a more personalized monitoring and tracking experience.
End-to-End Development Framework For A Pet Tracker App
The table below shows the steps involved in the process of developing a pet tracker app:
| Steps | Development Phase | Description |
| 1 | Planning & Research | Identify what features pet owners need, like live tracking, health alerts, and activity logs. Study competitor apps and decide on the target audience and budget. |
| 2 | Design & Wireframing | Create simple sketches and designs of how the app will look on the screen. Design user-friendly screens for map view, pet profiles, and notification settings. |
| 3 | App Development | Choose a development process from custom-based development or a white-label solution. The custom-based process is the one in which the app is built from scratch and requires more development time and cost. A white-label solution is a ready-made solution that businesses can rebrand as their own, and it is an affordable solution that can be launched in a week. |
| 4 | Testing & Bug Fixing | Test the app on different phones to find and fix errors or crashes. Check if tracking works accurately, notifications arrive on time, and battery usage is optimal. |
| 5 | Launch & Maintenance | Put the application on Google Play Store and App Store, from where users can download it. Continue to work on adding new features to the app, fixing bugs, and providing customer support. |
Industries That Can Benefit From Investing In A Pet Tracker App
Given below are some of the industries that can benefit from investing in a pet tracker app:
1. Ecommerce and retail businesses
A pet tracker app may be integrated by companies that have been selling pet supplies to sell related hardware equipment, increase customer loyalty, and develop a more sophisticated shopping process.
2. Pet wearable companies
GPS collar and activity tracker manufacturers are able to invest in an app that will offer them an easy-to-use platform to manage their devices, analyse information, and provide real-time tracking.
3. Veterinary technology companies
The companies are able to create or invest in pet tracker applications to provide more functions, such as health tracking (activity, sleep patterns, temperature), and simplify client management by combining data.
4. Pet service companies
Pet sitting, grooming, or walking businesses might consider a tracker application as an additional service, which will offer owners the opportunity to have peace of mind thanks to location tracking and activity reports.
5. Animal shelter or rescue organizations
The animal shelter or rescue organization can invest in this app, as this app will help in the adoption process. They can easily track the location and activity of the pet, which will allow the owner to determine the well-being of their new pet.
Turn your idea into a revenue-generating pet tracking business
How Pet Tracker Apps Can Earn Revenue
Here are some of the methods for monetizing a pet tracker application. Let's have a look:
1. Subscription plans
Provide levels of subscription, such as premium services, including extended tracking tools, unlimited visits to the vet, or premium content.
2. Freemium model
A basic level of tracking would be provided free of charge, with a premium offering more advanced functions like a history of detailed track activity or additional location track history.
3. E-commerce
The businesses can add an in-app store to directly sell pet products such as food, toys, and accessories.
4. In-app purchases
In some situations, people might be given a choice whether or not to make in-app purchases. However, the user could still be given the opportunity to buy a single service, for example, a virtual vet consultation or a training course, within the app.
5. Affiliate marketing
Find pet products and pet insurance companies, and local pet stores, to make a commission on the sales made with the help of the app.
6. Commission-based model
Collect a commission on bookings for pet services, such as grooming, sitting, or dog walking, made via the app.
7. Featured listings
Premium placements will enable charge pet professionals (vets, groomers, trainers) to gain more premium placements in search results or featured spots to gain more clients.
8. In-app advertisements
Businesses can generate revenue by placing in-app advertisements that are attractive to pet brands. They can provide native and non-intrusive advertisements, which will contribute to users' experience enhancement.
9. Sell tracking devices
Businesses can receive revenue from the sale of the actual tracking equipment (e.g., GPS collars or tags).
10. Tele-veterinary services
Businesses can earn by offering virtual consultations with veterinarians through the on-demand app for a fee.
11. Pet insurance
Collaborate with pet insurance companies and earn a commission on policies that will be sold through your service.
Empowering Your Pet Tracker App Vision With Hyperlocal Cloud!
Hyperlocal Cloud stands as one of the best pet care app development companies. If you are considering investing in a pet tracker app, then you can reach out to us. We have a team of skilled and experienced developers who have successfully delivered over 250 scalable applications. Our solutions are affordable; our starting price for the pet tracker app development is $6,000. We not only offer cost-effective solutions but also provide a scalable solution that can grow with your business.