A Text From…Fido?!
“Send me a text when you get there!” Has your mom or dad ever said this to you? Maybe you were on the way to a friend’s house, to the movies, or to soccer practice. You might not have been traveling far, but technology made it easy to communicate where you were and that you were safe. People use technology to tell others their location. They send texts and emails. They use services like Facebook and Foursquare to let friends and family know where they are and what they are doing.
People also use technology to find locations. A Global Positioning System, or GPS, can show people exactly where they are in the world. A GPS uses radio signals from satellites to show maps and give directions. Today, if you are lost, technology makes it much easier to find your way.
But what if you where not able to use a GPS to find your way home or send a text to tell someone where you were? This is exactly what happens when a pet gets lost. They can’t use their smartphone GPS to get directions home! But now, you can get a text or email alerting you if your pet is ever lost or missing—even before you notice they are gone! And, you can use GPS to find them.
Technology now makes it easier to locate a lost pet!
Many pets already have a microchip that tells their address. But these microchips can’t tell where a pet is. The chips can only tell where she should be. New systems and services can help you keep track of your pet no matter where she goes. This technology makes if possible for your pet to communicate her location! How do these services work? Your pet wears a special tag on her collar. The tag records where she is. If she leaves the area where she is supposed to be, a text or email is sent to you. Then, a GPS shows you online maps of where she is going. You can use the GPS to track her location and find her again. Amazing!
A GPS can now track where a lost pet is going!
Technology is not only changing the way people communicate with each other. It is changing the way we communicate with the world around us—dogs and cats included!
TLX News Journal: Geography Activity
Draw a map of your neighborhood or classroom from a dog’s view! What landmarks would you include on your map? What would be on the map key?
