BILLINGS — Social media platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor are filled with posts about missing pets, with owners desperate for help and neighbors trying to reunite lost animals with their families. Lately, a new conversation has surfaced online: Should Billings implement mandatory GPS collar requirements for dogs in residential areas following repeated escape incidents?
Watch Billings dog owners talk about the debate:
Zoe Mentzer frequently walks her dog, Maggie, and on Saturday played a game of fetch.
"I got her when she was 9 weeks and she'll be 3 April 16th, so she's still a young'un," Mentzer said.
Maggie loves to run and play, but Mentzer admits she has had to chase her down a few times.
"She likes to pull on her leash and sometimes she pulls a little bit too hard and yanks it out of my hands," Mentzer said.
Mentzer said missing pets are a familiar sight online.
"I'll see like missing dog or lost dog or cat, like pretty frequently actually," Mentzer said.
When considering a GPS collar for her own dog, Mentzer sees the value.
"I don't think it's a bad idea. I mean, at first I was actually disappointed when I found out the chip doesn't do GPS," Mentzer said.
While she believes GPS collars could help owners, she also anticipates potential pushback from the community.
"I definitely think owners would appreciate it. I think they might be a little bit like, don't tell me what to do with like a mandate, but I mean that's Montana for you," Mentzer said.
Over at High Sierra Dog Park, Samantha Meeks shares a similar view.
"I think I'd be okay with that. I mean, I think it would be a lot safer for the dogs. I mean, obviously the owners could find them a lot faster," Meeks said.
Finding a lost pet can take days, if they are found at all.
"Sometimes it's a couple of days, sometimes you're lucky, but other than that, sometimes they don't come back," Meeks said.
Meeks noted that microchips are helpful, but a GPS can be faster.
"I mean, if somebody finds the dog, obviously they can take it to go see if they're chipped," Meeks said. "If not, it's usually easier for the owners to find them if they've got a GPS on them."
There is currently no official GPS collar mandate in Billings, but the online conversation has pet owners thinking about the benefits.
"If she got out I, I want to go look for her myself, so I would personally like to know where she is instead of relying on somebody else to be a good Samaritan, you know," Mentzer said.
