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

Ring's AI-driven "Search Party" feature, which uses the company's camera network to help locate missing dogs, is now available to all Ring users across the U.S. For the first time, access is also being extended to people who don't own a Ring camera.

Originally introduced last fall, Search Party uses artificial intelligence to identify potential sightings of lost dogs by scanning video footage from nearby neighbourhood cameras.

When a user reports a missing dog through the Ring app, the app's outdoor cameras in the surrounding area automatically use AI to search for potential visual matches. If a possible match is detected, the camera owner receives a notification and can choose whether to share relevant video clips with the neighbour who reported the pet missing. Camera owners can also contact the dog's owner or send a message without revealing their personal phone number.

According to Ring, the feature has helped reunite more than one dog per day on average since its launch.

Until now, Search Party has been limited to households that have a Ring camera installed. With this update, the company is opening access to anyone using the Ring app, regardless of whether they have a camera.

"Now, pet owners can rally their entire community — and communities are better equipped to help — to locate lost pets more efficiently than ever," said Ring founder Jamie Siminoff in an announcement. He added that expanding access was critical for anyone posting about a missing dog on Neighbours, Ring's community-focused app.

Alongside the broader rollout, Amazon-owned Ring announced a $1 million commitment to equip animal shelters with Ring camera systems, supporting up to 4,000 shelters across the U.S. By bringing shelters into Ring's camera network, the company hopes to further increase the chances of lost dogs being reunited with their owners.

Ring already partners with nonprofit organisations such as Petco Love and Best Friends Animal Society, and the company says it remains open to expanding those partnerships.