One in three pets will be lost at some point in their life, making losing a pet one of the biggest concerns pet parents face. In fact, 10 million pets are reported lost or stolen in the US every year. As a solution to help reunite more lost dogs with their families – and in honour of National Pet ID Week (April 17th-23rd) – the IAMS brand is launching the beta version of the new NOSEiD mobile app today, available throughout Nashville and the surrounding area.

The NOSEiD app uses first-of-its-kind nose-scanning smartphone technology to help identify lost dogs by their nose print, which is unique to each dog, much like a human fingerprint2. The app's nose-detection technology is paired with the support of local communities to help reunite lost dogs with their pet parents.

"Pets are irreplaceable family members, and with the NOSEiD app, we're hoping to help keep more pets in their loving homes and out of shelters – taking another step toward our goal of ending pet homelessness," said Craig Neely, vice president of marketing at Mars Petcare. "The app is designed to be a community resource, so whether someone has a dog or not, they'll be able to join the NOSEiD community to help reunite lost dogs with their families in their own neighbourhood."

The NOSEiD app provides any person who finds a lost dog the tools they need to reunite it with its family, right in their smartphone. In addition to using the unique nose print of each dog as part of their pet profile, the app provides resources for pet parents and community members, such as an interactive map of lost dogs, robust pet profiles, a lost dog poster generator and more.

Here's how the NOSEiD app works:

• Pet parents can download the app and follow the prompts on the screen to make a profile for their dog, including scans of their dog's nose and a physical description.

• If a dog goes missing, the pet parent can report their dog as lost, and the missing dog alert will instantly be sent to other NOSEiD app users in their community.

• Anyone who finds a lost dog can use the app to check the lost dog profiles in the community, as well as scan the found dog's nose to search the NOSEiD app for any matches. Once the dog has been identified, the finder can connect with the pet parent to reunite them with their dog.

With the new NOSEiD solution, the IAMS brand, which is part of the Mars Petcare portfolio of products and services, is working to support the company's global ambition to end pet homelessness. The brand will work with local animal shelter partners to educate new pet parents on the need for the NOSEiD app and how it can be beneficial, in addition to other preventative measures like microchipping. The brand also will be collaborating with local businesses throughout Nashville, such as groomers, restaurants, shops, dog walkers and more, to spread the word about the new technology.

The NOSEiD app is available for Apple and Android devices in the App Store and Google Play Store. For more information on the NOSEiD app, visit here and follow along on the NOSEiD Facebook channel. Interested users can download the app or visit the website to sign up for emails to be notified when the NOSEiD app is available in their city.