GPS for Pets: Should We Follow the Example of Russian President Vladimir Putin?

As the number of satellites for the Russian Glonass network, which is the Russian equivalent of the GPS system in the United States, is increased to 18; the network will finally be available for Russian consumers.

President Vladimir Putin seemed to be considerably interested in this, especially in that ability to track his dog. "When will I be able to buy the necessary equipment for my dog Koni so that she doesn't run too far?" ask Putin, according to this report.

Putin has a long standing public relationship with his dog, Connie (Koni). She's the star of a children's book titled, "Connie's Stories" by Irina P. Borisova. The book, published several years ago, garnered much attention and some debate as well concerning the overall principles in the book. The Moscow Times covered the response to the book well in this 2005 Article.

Overall, for Russia to be back on track with the Glonass network is good news for them. The system originally had 24 satellites, but following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the number dwindled. Now back on track it should be only months until consumers, like President Putin can buy tracking systems for their dogs, cats, and children.

So, will Putin be setting a good example for the people of his country when he purchases the equipment and tracks his dog Connie? I don't think so. There are so many more important things in the world. Don't get me wrong, I love my dog. Dearly, and I've been through the pain of losing an animal. We, like many others, canvassed the neighborhood with "LOST" posters, contacted our local animal control, animal shelters and asked everyone that we saw on the street.

Eventually, we had to give up, and my broken-hearted daughter and I both had to accept the fact that someone else had most likely "adopted" our dog. GPS would have been great in this situation, but even so, what option do you have?