Move Over, Puppy Bowl: Ring's Dog-Rescuing Super Bowl Ad Brings Tears and Tech

It's only been a couple of months since security brand Ring rolled out its Search Party function to locate lost dogs, but the company says its already helped pet owners find more than one lost dog per day. Now Ring is going much bigger with the project, including a cute Super Bowl spot and the ability for anyone to use Search Party, even if they don't own a Ring security cam.

Search Party is a particularly innovative use of advanced home AI, which Ring adopted last year to help identify objects, summarize caught video and save time.

However, the Amazon-owned Ring thought it could do more with its AI, so it developed a pet-friendly use unlike anything I've seen before. Search Party allowed Ring users to post pictures of lost four-legged friends on the Ring Neighbors platform. 

Users who opted in had their captured outdoor video sent to Ring for analysis. If the cameras detected a pet and the AI thought it resembled the lost dog, the user got a notification with the ability to share the info and location with the worried pet owner.

Search Party uses AI to find lost dogs, something no other security brand is doing.

Ring

Apparently, the AI gambit proved successful -- so successful that Ring is ramping up Search Party in a major way, just in time for the Super Bowl. Now Search Party is available for anyone who wants to sign up for the Ring Neighborhood app. You don't need a Ring cam or video doorbell to use the feature now. The only limitation is that the detection service is only available for US users at this time.

Ring also announced a $1 million project to provide animal shelters across the country with Ring cameras, which would presumably make Search Party even more effective if a four-legged friend was already brought into a shelter.  

If the Super Bowl ad wasn't enough to tug your heartstrings, Ring's announcement also includes several stories from pet owners who have used Search Party to locate their furry family, including a very cute doggo who was found in just 15 minutes.

Ring's latest doorbells have a big resolution bump and new smart features.

Ring

On a final note, I know there's been a lot of talk and conflicting information around Ring cameras and Flock surveillance. Flock has been known to share license plate and drone footage with local police departments and other law enforcement, which has made people cautious about letting the company near their home security cameras. 

However, while Ring does have an upcoming partnership with Flock, Ring has stated the collaboration hasn't started yet, and when it does, users will have to manually give consent to share videos for every new event.

If you're interested in cameras that could spot local lost pets or at least help protect your packages, stop by my guides to the best cheap video doorbells and best cheap security cameras to see what's available on a budget.