Ford’s Pass app helps reunite stolen dogs with their owners
Smartphone app aided those tracking down both the stolen animals and the vehicle they were in.
Six stolen dogs were reunited with their owners thanks to a little help from Ford’s Pass app.
The six dogs were stolen while in the back of a Ford Transit Custom being used in West London. Its owner, Brett Holte-Smith, had linked the Ford Pass app to his vehicle when new last year, meaning that after it was stolen the van’s location could be narrowed down.
Once activated, the Pass showed the Transit’s first location in Park Royal, following its theft in Ealing on the morning of November 12.
By the time the search party reached the location, the vehicle had gone but five of the six dogs were found roaming the park and were safely captured.
The thieves’ next location in the Transit showed up too, allowing trackers to locate the van to another part of Park Royal where it was seized later that day. The sixth dog was also found and returned to its owners.
Mark Harvey, Ford enterprise connectivity director, said: “Connectivity is the cornerstone of our mission to deliver smart vehicles. What brings that plan to life, and makes it all the more rewarding, is real-life stories such as this, with Ford’s technologically advanced vehicles bringing about a better outcome for customers in need.”
Ford has offered Holte-Smith an alternative vehicle while his Transit is returned to working order. One of the six dog owners was former BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, who credited Ford’s involvement in the rescue.
