AirTags can be a very easy and comfortable way to monitor our dogs for when we let them off the leash or they get lost. In fact, there have been many brands that have released accessories (collars, harnesses, etc.) to locate one of these devices on our pets. But beware, there are some dangers associated with this practice according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
With a diameter of 31.9 millimeters and a thickness of just 8, AirTags fit easily on these prepared dog collars, but that size also makes tracking devices are small enough that our restless pets can play with them and even swallow them, at least one medium or large size dog. With a quick search on the internet, you will be able to see multiple cases in which owners report the same thing, that their dogs have swallowed an AirTag.
One of these testimonies collected in the Wall Street Journal is from a dog owner, Colin Mortimer, who told the newspaper that the AirTag on his dog Sophie’s collar disappeared. He located it with the Find My app and got it to play a sound, whose whistle came from his other bitch’s stomach, Sassy. Sassy was able to eject (by not entirely hygienic methods) the still working AirTag, but keep in mind that sometimes these incidents may require surgery.
Apple does not recommend that AirTags be used to track pets or children (and also commented on this for tracking anyone’s position) and actually said that it’s not something people should do since AirTags were designed to only track objects. AirTags that are swallowed by a living being can safely pass through the digestive system, but there may be complications if the AirTag falls apart.
This is because inside the AirTag there is a battery (button) and, if damaged, some batteries may leak a substance that can harm a pet’s stomach or mouth if the battery is chewed, or even cause poisoning. Ann Hohenhaus, a veterinarian at New York’s Schwarzmann Animal Medical Center, said that if a dog eats an AirTag, it should be removed “as soon as possible.”
So if you are a dog owner and decide to put an AirTag on a pet collar, it is best to look for one that is as safe as possible, without any dangling component that the dog can reach or bite. There are many AirTag dog collar options on the market, but these products are not vetted or recommended by Apple and should be used with caution.