Lost Dog Found by Apple AirTag in California

Apple's AirTag, a device designed to track items, helped rescue a dog that had been swept away in California floodwaters. According to ABC7, a one-year-old Australian shepherd, Seamus, fell into a fast-moving storm drain during a walk with his owner. Despite being swept into a flood control basin and floating away, Seamus was able to crawl out of an access tube and was found by rescuers using the AirTag on his collar. The drainage network took Seamus approximately a mile from where he started, and he was stuck.

On its Facebook page, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said that both the Apple AirTag and the conventional ID tag "aided rescuers and owners in tracking the pup and reuniting him." This incident highlights the importance of having some form of identification on your pet, whether it be a conventional ID tag or a tracking device like an AirTag.

Apple created AirTags to track items and does not recommend using them for pets, children, or other living creatures because they require a nearby iPhone to be located and do not have their built-in GPS tracking functionality. That has not stopped many pet owners from using ‌AirTags‌ on their animals, and there are a wide range of collars, harnesses, and other accessories for equipping a pet with an AirTag. This incident shows that while AirTags are not designed for tracking live creatures, they can be a lifesaver in certain situations.