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

Ring’s AI-powered “Search Party” feature, which leverages the company’s network of cameras to find lost dogs, is now available to all Ring customers in the U.S. For the first time, the feature will be made available to those who don’t own a Ring camera, too.

Launched last fall, Search Party uses AI to find possible matches for lost dogs across neighbors’ camera footage.

When a neighbor reports a lost dog in the Ring app, nearby outdoor cameras use AI to scan for possible matches. If a match is found, that camera owner receives an alert and can optionally choose to share any related video clips with their neighbor who reported the pet missing. They’ll also have an option to call the owner or send them a message, without sharing their own phone number.

Ring says the feature has been reuniting more than a dog 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 accessible to anyone through the Ring app.

“Now, pet owners can mobilize the whole community—and communities are empowered to help—to find lost pets more effectively than ever before,” noted Ring founder Jamie Siminoff, in an 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,” he added, referring to the company’s Neighbors app for Ring customers.

Alongside the launch and expansion, Amazon-owned Ring said it’s committing $1 million to equip animal shelters with Ring camera systems, and aims to aid 4,000 U.S. shelters. By adding the shelters to Ring’s network, the company hopes 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.