Developers and entrepreneurs in Yucatan created “Follow My Dog”, an application, online platform and a GPS device for monitoring pets.
“The “Follow My Dog” device is placed on the neck of your pet with a collar, and you can track it through an application at all times. You will always know where your pet is,” said Fernando Gutiérrez, creator of the system.
“The software also offers you a service called “secure area”, determined by the user, and in case the pet leaves that space the app sends an alert to the owner who can see the exact place where it is located and the path it followed to get there, because the application also has a history of routes”.
One hundred percent Yucatecan Technology
The software reveals pet data such as the vaccination card or appointments with the vet. Two profiles are then created, that of the owner and that of the pet, with name, photograph and personal data. The platform can support data from several pets belonging to the same owner.
The device has two sizes: small and large breeds. It is charged with the electricity, “as if it were a cell phone”, and it features an automatic configuration mode. ” The necklace works like an internet modem, the battery lasts one day and the app sends the owner low battery alert.
Once the device is purchased, for a monthly fee of 150 pesos, the user can access the services of both the app and the internet platform “as if it were a cell phone plan”. The company Telcel is the one that provides them with telecommunications services.
“14 people worked in the creation of “Follow My Dog”, and we are mainly dedicated to the “development of technological solutions for any company, we are entrepreneurs, “says Gutiérrez.
“Follow My Dog went on sale at the beginning of 2018. To date, almost sixty pieces have been sold, all outside of Yucatan, mainly in Central Mexico. “No units have been sold in Yucatan, we still do not have the culture of spending that much on our pets. In Mérida there is not a big demand for this type of service, because if your pet gets lost you post it on social network and you have good chances to get it back, although the situation is always distressing for the owners”, he continued.
“Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) indicate that “the rate of street dogs grows alarmingly at a rate of 20 percent per year. It is estimated that of the 28 million dogs that exist in Mexico, only 30% have an owner, “being the loss and abandonment of the main causes of this issue. For the company it is important to raise awareness about the importance of identification devices”, he added.
“The product is available online at www.followmydog.mx and on Mercado Libre. The device has a price of two thousand pesos, has the “IP65 certification that indicates that it is water, dust and shock resistant”, Gutierrez said.
Follow My Dog developers will try to sell it in the United States but they do not yet have the certifications required to sell it in that country “and it is very expensive”. They seek to have points of sale in the southeast of the country and they will continue to market it in Mexico. They are also looking for other markets in Central and South America. ”
The group wants to use this technology to focus on other niches such as children and older adults, in watch format. It is not yet for sale but the application is tested and ready.
TYT Newsroom with information from lajornadamaya.mx
