RFID Means First-Class Fun At ‘World’s First’ Indoor Doggie Daycare

That’s why the “world’s first indoor dog day-care center” uses RFID technology to speed up its canine charges’ entry and exit to the facility, automate billing, and track the park’s usage, all without hiring extra employees.

Thousands of dogs visit Unleashed each week for exercise and play. To keep track of them all, there are two RFID interrogators stationed side by side at each of the park’s two entrances and two exits. Each pair of interrogators is equipped with an RFID reader. Only an authorized RFID read will prompt the gates to unlock and allow a pet to enter or leave the park. Each pet, meanwhile, wears a plastic dog tag with an embedded EPC Gen 2 RFID chip in it. The chips contain unique ID numbers linked to the animals’ specific information, including breed, vaccination history, health records and disposition—all of which the owners provided on their first visit to Unleashed. The ID numbers interact with the center’s back-end software to verify that the dog’s information is up to date; then a third-party financial management provider links the ID numbers to encrypted credit card data. Upon verification, the owner is automatically charged with the cost of the visit.

Thanks to the RFID system, park visitors are spared waiting in long lines to enter, exit, and pay, while Unleashed benefits from higher numbers of satisfied guests. The park has been so successful that it is planning to expand in other areas of the country, using the same RFID system.