Situation:

In 2023, 66,900 people died in earthquakes, many of which were felt in Lima, Peru — located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 90% of all seismic activity occurs. While the most sophisticated technology can’t predict earthquakes, scientific evidence shows that animals could. Previous approaches to monitoring animals in the wild for earthquake forecasting have failed due to the use of outdated and invasive technology.

Objective:

To warn people before earthquakes and give them time to evacuate.

Media insight:

Traditional disaster mitigation systems are neither fast nor accessible enough to reach a swiftly moving population during critical moments.

Animal Alerts is the first earthquake warning system powered by pet health data. Using the existing PetPace smart health collars, dogs’ physiological and behavioral data are monitored. An innovative algorithm analyzed all data along with seismic activity to detect the possibility of an earthquake, the alerts are sent out in real-time through geo-targeted mobile notifications, digital billboards, and radio. Animal Alerts leverages the omnipresence of modern media to ensure that urgent, real-time alerts can reach a wide audience while giving them time to evacuate.

Target audience:

1. For distributing the alerts: 11 million residents in Lima, Peru.

2. For recruiting the dogs: approx. 6 million households with dogs in Lima, Peru.

Media planning:

To be able to reach as many Lima residents as possible in time, mass media channels and placements were selected to reach people with different media consumption habits and in different areas efficiently.

Implementation:

Animal Alerts is powered by data from the PetPace 2.0 smart collar for dogs. With volunteers from all over Lima, dogs were selected in different locations to be monitored. When multiple dogs behave abnormally at the same time, the algorithm detects this as an indication of a potential earthquake.

Timeline:

The pilot study was designed in August 2023. Media partnerships and pet volunteers were secured by January 2024. The first earthquake was detected in February and the initiative launched publicly in March.

Media channels and integration:

By partnering with local pet stores, pet owners and their dogs were invited to join the program. The resulting alerts are sent out in real-time through geo-targeted mobile notifications, digital billboards, and radio, giving people time to evacuate. Media spaces were secured for free through partnerships. Launched in Lima, the program is being rolled out globally to countries with high seismic activity.

Launched in early 2024 in Lima, Peru. As of April, 175 volunteers have signed up with their pets. So far, 18 seismic events have been detected, warning over 9 million residents and giving them time to take necessary precautions. Animal Alerts is in the process of being rolled out in more countries such as Turkey and Japan.