1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to animal retrieval devices, and, more particularly, to a pet identification and retrieval device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pets are a beloved part of many family homes. The warmth, company and affection which they provide is well known. After all, it is said that dogs are man's best friends.
Sometimes, however, that relationship between human and animal is threatened by the disappearance of the animal from the home. This can happen in a number of ways. The animal may be an outside animal, such as a dog or cat, which strays from home and gets lost. Such animals often end up at animal shelters or dog pounds. If the family has moved into a new neighborhood, it is likely that the family pet could get lost in its new surroundings.
Even for indoor pets, there is a chance of the animal being lost, since many animals like to sneak out of a partially open door. Even with attentive and caring owners, the possibility of a lost pet exists.
In this event, it becomes paramount that individuals who find the animal have a simple and effective means to identify the animal and contact its owner.
The previous art includes numerous dog tags. Examples of this type of device include U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,660, issued in the name of Dettmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,766, issued in the name of Colliard, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,743, issued in the name of Jeffers. These dog tags usually include metal tags engraved with information regarding the animal, or an identification card with written information stored in a plastic sheet located on the collar.
These devices suffer from one or more of the following problems. First, dog tags provide limited space for information on the animal, such as what the animal likes to eat. This is important if the animal must spend the night at the individual's home who found the animal. Second, when the family moves or goes on vacation, the tag must be replaced with a new tag that contains the new address and phone number. Third, the metal tags have a tendency to rust over time. Fourth, the engraved information on the metal tags has a tendency to wear down and become unreadable. Fifth, the tag does little to facilitate calming the animal, other than providing the animal's name so that the individuals who found him or her can use the correct name. Sixth, the paper tags are affected by moisture in the air, such as when the animal is outside in the rain. Such moisture can make the written information unreadable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,839, issued in the name of Mistry, discloses a retrieval device that incorporates a micro cassette recorder into a collar. The problem with the '839 device is that the microcassette can get damaged in the rain or if the dog comes near a magnetic source. Also, the '839 device requires that the individual finding the animal have a micro cassette player to listen to the message and discover the animal's name and its owner's identification. This severely limits the effectiveness of the device.
Digital recorders exist in the previous art. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,032, issued in the name of Fujii, U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,873, issued in the name of Duncan, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,256, issued in the name of Goodman. In general, such devices are bulky and too large to be used with a dog or cat collar. Such digital technology must be miniaturized so as to fit on a dog or cat's collar.
One device, being sold on the market, incorporates solid-state technology to digitally record a message to be replayed by the individual finding the animal. There are several problems with such a device, however. First, the device is bulky, heavy and cumbersome, making it effective only with bigger animals, such as large dogs. Cats would find the device bulky and uncomfortable. Second, the device is an elongated, hanging from the animal's collar. This swinging motion would be distracting to pets. Also, the swinging motion would increase the chance of the device getting caught on some object and choking the animal. Third, the attachment point for the device to the collar is extremely weak, increasing the risk that the device would inadvertently break free while being worn. Fourth, the device requires that the back plate be removed to record a message. This is difficult for many individuals, such as the young, the elderly and the infirm. Also, whenever the family moves, or takes the pet on vacation, the device must be opened to record a new message. This is a difficult problem given most families do not have the minuscule screw drivers necessary to open the back plate. Fifth, there is no way for the owner to know if the battery is operational, unless the owner opens up the device and tests the battery with electrical equipment.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems cited above.