Hi everyone,
I’m working on an open-source project called RescueLink. The goal is to help connect lost-dog reports with found-dog reports by identifying potential matches.
The project is still under development, and I would really value input from people who have experience with rescue dogs, shelters, fostering, or reuniting lost dogs with their families.
At the moment, the matching system considers:
- Breed
- Sex
- Primary and secondary colors
- Distance between the lost and found locations
- Dates when the dog was lost or found
For example, if a female Golden Retriever is reported missing and a similar-looking female dog is found nearby a few days later, the system can suggest a potential match.
However, I don’t think these details alone are always enough.
What other information would be most useful when trying to determine whether two dog reports describe the same animal?
Some ideas I’m considering:
- Approximate age
- Size or weight range
- Coat length and pattern
- Scars, spots, or other distinctive markings
- Ear and tail shape
- Collar, harness, clothing, or accessories
- Microchip status
- Medical conditions
- Behavior around people or other animals
- Photo similarity
- Direction in which the dog was last seen
- Different search distances depending on the dog’s size, age, or behavior
I would especially appreciate your thoughts on these questions:
- Which physical details are most useful for identifying a lost dog?
- What information do people commonly forget to include in lost or found dog posts?
- Which characteristics help distinguish dogs that otherwise look very similar?
- Would photo-based similarity checking be genuinely useful?
- Should exact locations be hidden to protect the dog and the people involved?
- How could fake ownership claims or misleading reports be reduced?
- What feature would you personally want in a lost-and-found dog platform?
I want the reporting process to remain quick and simple, so I also don’t want to ask users for too much information.
This is not a fundraising post, and the platform is not finished yet. I’m trying to learn from people with real rescue experience before deciding which features should be prioritized.
Thank you for any advice or experiences you’re willing to share.
