Amazon has been rather quiet on the AI front over the last couple of years, but it’s come up with a heartwarming update of putting the technology to good use.
The e-commerce giant has expanded its Ring Search Party for Dogs feature nationwide, making the AI-powered lost pet finder available to anyone in the United States through the Ring app—even if they don’t own Ring cameras. The expansion comes after the feature achieved remarkable results in its initial rollout, reuniting more than one lost dog per day with their owners since its launch three months ago.
From Neighborhood Shouting to AI-Powered Search Networks
“Before Search Party, the best you could do was drive up and down the neighborhood, shouting your dog’s name in hopes of finding them,” said Jamie Siminoff, Ring’s chief inventor. “Now, pet owners can mobilize the whole community—and communities are empowered to help—to find lost pets more effectively than ever before.”
The technology addresses a widespread problem: more than 1 million reports of lost or found pets were made in the Ring Neighbors app last year alone, and millions of dogs go missing in the U.S. annually. With an estimated 60 million U.S. households owning at least one dog—totaling roughly 90 million dogs nationwide—the potential impact is substantial.
How the AI Technology Works
Search Party leverages computer vision and machine learning trained on tens of thousands of dog videos. When a pet owner reports a lost dog in the Ring app, nearby participating outdoor Ring cameras automatically begin scanning for potential matches. The AI analyzes breeds, sizes, fur patterns, body features, unique markings, shape, and color to identify dogs that resemble the missing pet.
When a camera detects a potential match, it alerts the camera owner, who can review footage alongside the photo of the missing dog. Importantly, privacy remains under the camera owner’s control—they decide on a case-by-case basis whether to share their footage with the pet owner or ignore the alert.
This privacy-first approach distinguishes Search Party from more invasive surveillance applications of AI. Users maintain full control over their camera footage while being empowered to help neighbors in need.
Real-World Impact and Success Stories
The results have exceeded expectations. In just 90 days since launch, Search Party helped bring home 99 dogs—more than one reunion per day. The feature has already aided dogs across the country, including Xochitl from Houston, Truffle from Bakersfield, Lainey from Surprise, Arizona, Zola from Ellenwood, Georgia, and many others.
One particularly striking case involved Ring customer Kylee from Wichita, Kansas, whose mixed-breed dog Nyx slipped through a small hole under her backyard fence. Thanks to Search Party, a neighbor shared video of Nyx, and Kylee was able to locate him within just 15 minutes. “I was blown away. I mean he has a microchip, but not everybody knows to check for that,” Kylee said. “I don’t think we would have been able to find him if it weren’t for the Ring app.”
Chris, a Ring camera owner from Lehigh Acres, Florida, explained the value of automated alerts: “If you’re not looking at the neighborhood posts and you don’t know if a dog is missing, you’re not checking your cameras every time something runs past the front. It was very helpful that [Search Party] told me, ‘Hey, you might have spotted a missing dog.'”
Amazon CEO Weighs In
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy highlighted Search Party as an example of meaningful AI implementation in response to questions about compelling AI use cases. “The impact is energizing. With roughly 90 million dogs in the U.S., think this is gonna matter for a lot of families,” Jassy said. “Good example of real-world impact, and proud of what the Ring team has built here.”
A Model for Purpose-Driven AI
As the AI industry is causing concern around how the new technology can impact people’s jobs, Search Party offers a concrete example of how it can also address everyday problems with measurable impact. The feature demonstrates that AI applications need not be complex enterprise solutions or futuristic moonshots to create meaningful value—sometimes the most effective uses solve simple but widespread human needs.
For pet owners whose dogs go missing, starting a Search Party is straightforward: report the dog as missing in the Ring app, and nearby participating cameras will begin searching. A banner labeled “Search Party” appears below the dog’s photo when active. Because Search Parties are temporary, users should renew them if their pet hasn’t been found after a few hours, or start a new one if it expires.