Ring brings its ‘Search Party’ feature to find lost dogs for non-Ring owners

Ring’s AI-powered “Search Party” feature, which leverages the company’s cameras to find lost dogs, is now available accessible to all Ring customers in the US For the first time, this feature has been made available to those who don’t have a Ring camera, too.

Started last fallSearch Party uses AI to find possible matches for stray dogs on their neighbors’ cameras.

When a neighbor reports a lost dog in the Ring app, nearby outdoor cameras use AI to scan for potential matches. If a match is found, the owner of the camera will receive an alert and can choose to share the corresponding video with the neighbor who reported the pet missing. They will also have the option to call the owner or send them a message, without sharing their phone number.

Ring says the feature has been re-connecting more than dogs per day since its launch.

Previously, Search Party was only available to customers with a Ring camera installed. The company is now making Search Party available to everyone through the Ring app.

“Now, pet owners can bring the whole community together – and communities have the power to help – find lost pets better than ever,” said Jamie Siminoff, founder of Ring, to announce. “That’s why we believe it’s so important to make this possible for anyone who shares a lost dog post on Neighbors,” he added, referring to the company’s Neighbors program for Ring customers.

Along with the launch and expansion, Amazon Ring said it is donating $1 million to equip animal shelters with Ring camera systems, and aims to support 4,000 US shelters. By adding shelters to the Ring network, the company hopes that more lost dogs will be reunited with their owners.

The company already works with other nonprofits, including Petco Love and Best Friends Animal Society, and is open to other partnerships.