Grand Junction, Colo. – Roice-Hurst Humane Society is proud to announce a new partnership with DocuPet, a leading innovator in pet reunification across North America. Through this collaboration, Roice-Hurst is introducing a GPS Pet Collar Pilot Program for dog owners in Mesa County. Powered by DocuPet’s advanced technology, the program aims to help lost pets return home safely and faster.
Selected participants will receive a GPS collar attachment and one-year subscription from DocuPet at no cost. Over a year, participants will use the technology to manage and track their dog’s location and submit monthly surveys to Roice-Hurst and DocuPet to report escape incidents and outcomes.
“This pilot is a creative first step exploring solutions that prevent beloved pets from becoming lost in Mesa County. It helps ensure lost pets arrive home quickly and safely without unnecessarily entering the animal shelter system,” said Zebulon Miracle, CEO of Roice-Hurst Humane Society. “One in three pets will go missing in their lifetime, so this is one way to potentially save lives, time, resources, and heartache.”
Ultimately, data collected during this pilot program will be used to examine the feasibility of a future initiative to increase access to GPS collar attachments for families with pets across the Grand Valley.
“We are very excited to partner with Roice-Hurst Humane Society to help lost pets get home quickly and reduce the number of pets entering shelters. DocuPet is honored to bring our pet reunification solutions to Mesa County and support the amazing work of the local shelters.” said Jackie Rose, Chief Strategy Officer for DocuPet.
GPS collar attachments are wearable devices that use satellite and cellular connectivity to track a pet’s real-time location through a smartphone app. The tracker provides location updates, movement history, and customizable alerts if a pet leaves designated safe zones. At the same time, built-in sensors and AI-powered analytics continuously monitor key health indicators such as heart rate and respiratory rate, helping detect unusual changes early. The device also tracks daily activity, sleep patterns, and overall behavior, delivering easy-to-understand reports through the mobile app.
A common misconception among pet owners is that a microchip can track a lost pet’s location, but this is not the case. A microchip is a small, implanted device that carries a unique identification number, which can be read by a scanner at a veterinary clinic or animal shelter. That number is then used to retrieve the owner’s contact information from a registry. While microchips are a vital form of permanent identification, they do not provide real-time location tracking like the devices used in this pilot program with GPS technology.
Those interested in participating in the pilot are asked to submit an application at RHhumanesociety.org/docupet. Participants will be selected and notified this summer.
About Roice-Hurst Humane Society
Roice-Hurst Humane Society’s mission is to promote bonds between pets and their people. The nonprofit animal shelter is based in Grand Junction, Colorado, and provides individualized care and adoption services for dogs and cats, as well as innovative support programs for owned pets. The organization was founded in 1963 and is the oldest pet welfare organization in the Grand Valley. Roice-Hurst is a socially-conscious animal shelter that works diligently to match animals to loving homes, however long that may take. Learn more at RHhumanesociety.org.
About DocuPet
DocuPet is the largest and fastest-growing pet registration and reunification platform in North America, providing official pet licensing services to more than 300 jurisdictions. DocuPet provides free lost pet services through HomeSafe®, and a unique product offering with an AI-powered pet tracker, designer pet tags, and other pet identification products. DocuPet is transforming how communities support animal welfare through inventive thinking and pioneering technology. Learn more at Docupet.com.
