Ring will help you find a lost dog even if you don't own a Ring camera with the expanded "Search Party" feature

Last Fall Ring introduced a new AI-powered feature dubbed "Search Party" that uses the company's network of doorbell and security cameras to help worried pet owners find their lost dogs. However, you needed to have a Ring camera to access the feature.

Ring just announced that the feature will be made available to all Ring customers, even those who don't own a Ring camera. According to Ring, the company has helped "bring home more than a dog a day" since it launched.

Search Party uses AI to find potential matches for lost dogs using footage from your neighbors' cameras. You can report a lost dog in the Ring app, and nearby outdoor cameras will use AI to scan for dogs. If a match is found, the camera owner receives an alert and can choose to share related clips with the missing pet owner. There's also an option to call the neighbor or send a message without sharing their phone number.

Compatible Ring devices

• Doorbells: All Ring doorbell models are compatible with Search Party and can participate in lost dog alerts.
• Floodlight Cams: All models work with the feature to help locate missing pets in your area.
• Spotlight Cams: All models support Search Party functionality for finding lost dogs.
• Stick Up Cam: All models are eligible only if explicitly set to "Outdoor" Install Type in Device Settings.
• Outdoor Cam: All models are eligible only if explicitly set to "Outdoor" Install Type in Device Settings.

More to come

Search Party | A New Way to Neighbor - YouTube

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Now you just have to have the Ring Neighbors app to use the feature.

“Now, pet owners can mobilize the whole community—and communities are empowered to help—to find lost pets more effectively than ever before,” Ring founder Jamie Siminoff said in the announcement. “That’s why we believe it’s so important to make this feature available to anyone who shares a lost dog post in Neighbors."

The Amazon-owned Ring also announced that it will be committing more than $1 million to equip animal shelters across the U.S. with Ring camera systems and to aid shelters in reuniting lost dogs with owners. Adding shelters to the network is one way the company hopes to help dogs find their people.

When Search Party was first announced, it was promised that other animals, including cats, would be added at a later date, though that wasn't updated with today's announcement.

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