Sentinels & Community Alerts

Sentinels are trusted contacts - neighbours, friends, local community members - who receive targeted alerts when you activate lost mode. They're the difference between posting a flyer and having a coordinated search.

What are Sentinels?

Sentinels are FoundYa users in your local area who have opted in to receive lost pet alerts. When you report your pet missing, nearby Sentinels are notified with your pet's photo, name, breed, and last known location.

They don't need to be in your household or even know you personally. They're community members who want to help lost pets get home.

How alerts work

When you activate lost mode:

1. Immediate notification - Sentinels within a configurable radius of your pet's last known location receive a push notification
2. Geo-targeted outreach - as time passes, the alert radius can expand to reach more people
3. Timed messaging - follow-up alerts are sent across physical and digital channels to keep your pet visible
4. Scan alerts - if anyone taps your pet's tag, you receive an instant notification with their approximate GPS location

Becoming a Sentinel

Any FoundYa user can opt in to become a Sentinel from the Community tab. You choose how far you're willing to travel and what types of alerts you want to receive.

Next steps

• How Lost Mode Works for the full lost mode walkthrough
• Scan Alerts & Location History for understanding scan notifications
• The Community Map for how the community tab works