On April 23, National Lost Dog and Cat Awareness Day, Fearless Kitty Rescue will join forces with Petco Love, formerly known as the Petco Foundation, a national non-profit working to lead and inspire change for animals and animal welfare groups across the country, on a shared mission to help reunite lost pets with their families should they ever go missing.

According to industry statistics, one in every three pets will go missing in their lifetime. Petco Love Lost is a new, searchable national database that uses patented facial recognition technology to make finding lost pets quicker and easier. This tool is accessible to participating animal organizations nationwide, as well as any pet parent or person who finds a lost pet. Uploaded photos of a missing dog or cat are scanned to determine whether the lost pet is at a participating shelter or with a neighbor in the community.

“We see firsthand how quickly a kitty can go missing, whether they were curious, following a scent, wandered through an open gate or became scared during a storm,” said Kim Kamins, CEO of Fearless Kitty Rescue. “We work tirelessly to care for cats and kittens, whether they’re awaiting their forever home or lost and need help getting back to their families. There’s nothing more rewarding than reuniting families with their beloved pets and with Petco Love Lost we’re confident it can lead to many more happy reunions, right here in Fountain Hills.”

Susanne Kogut, Petco Love president, agreed.

“We know that one in three pets goes missing in their lifetime, an estimated 10 million pets each year, and we’re not ok with that,” Kogut said. “That gives us 10 million reasons why we created Petco Love Lost, because we believe nothing is more important than keeping people and pets together for a lifetime of love. Together with Fearless Kitty Rescue, our goal is to keep pets where they belong – at home, with you.”

To learn more about Fearless Kitty Rescue, visit fearlesskittyrescue.org. Anyone who has lost or found a pet should visit petcolovelost.org.