New technology could help with pet rehoming, says Battersea
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has revealed it is one of only a handful of UK organisations to have trialled Google Glass.
Glass is a small, wearable computer that looks like a pair of glasses. Battersea was the first UK charity to trial the technology, ahead of Google's Glass Explorer launch this week.
The charity says the new technology could help it rehome animals faster, allowing people to see their "real personalities", when they are playing happily in a stress-free environment, as opposed to the kennel.
"Too often a dog or cat will hide away or even cower at the back of their kennel or pen, so would-be new owners will just move on by," said Dee McIntosh, Battersea's director of communications.
"But we think Glass could help show off the real personalities of our animals, offering access to videos of them playing stress-free in our paddocks, fields and cat pens, whilst a visitor is actually standing at their kennel, and this would give our animals a much better chance of finding a home."
Google Glass is still in development and is not yet on general release to the general public. Resembling a pair of glasses, it connects to the internet via Wifi or a smartphone and displays information such as websites, video clips and images on a small screen in the corner of the user's vision.
Using this technology, visitors to Battersea could in the future benefit from hands-free access to not only dog and cat profiles, videos and photos, but also "on the spot" information about the charity's history as they move around its centres.
Dee added: "We think Glass could potentially offer mums, dads and some of the thousands of youngsters that come through our doors an unforgettable experience - dogs, cats and all sorts of great nuggets of information about our famous animal shelter throughout the generations."
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
