Lost and Found: Russia's E-Government to Help Reunite Pets With Their Owners

A proposed national AI-powered pet photo database could dramatically speed up the search for lost cats and dogs across Russia.

A Database Built for Paws and Faces

In a country where nearly 70% of households own a pet, losing one can feel like losing a family member. Now, Russia is exploring a tech-forward solution: a centralized pet photo database hosted on the Gosuslugi state services portal, with facial recognition capabilities powered by artificial intelligence.

Once implemented, the system would allow users to upload photos of lost or found pets, automatically scanning for matches with up to 98% accuracy. Owners would then be notified via the platform. The scale of the problem is significant—in 2024, over 168,000 online posts about lost or found pets were made in Russia. Compared to analog methods—flyers, social media, volunteer networks—a national automated system could save critical time and cover far more territory.

From Pilot Cities to Nationwide Rollout

Initially, the platform would likely launch as a pilot in Russia’s largest cities before expanding countrywide. Future updates may include voice-based recognition—such as identifying a pet by bark or meow—or QR code scanning for chipped animals.

In the past two years, we’ve launched 14 new biometric services. The next step is to make biometric registration as simple and fast as possible. We’re addressing this challenge by applying AI technologies in the registration process

Dmitry Grigorenko

Deputy Head and Chief of Staff of the Government of the Russian Federation

While still a proposal, the initiative is more than a speculative AI demo. It’s a practical response to a deeply emotional issue, promising to reunite thousands of families with their lost pets. The project also underscores Russia’s investment in everyday applications of artificial intelligence, beyond business or academia.

Gosuslugi already boasts over 117 million registered users, ranking as one of the nation’s most used digital services. If successful, pet search could become as routine as paying taxes online.

Closing the Gap in Animal Identification

Though Russia began implementing animal microchipping in 2020, adoption remains limited. Registration is mandatory in many regions, but doesn’t always involve chips—instead, biometric features are logged. In Leningrad Oblast, the Goznak.Pet system uses a unique biometric profile for each animal.

Since July 2024, over 12,000 pets have been added to the database. In the Moscow region, AI already assists with searches, analyzing photos of missing and found pets submitted by users. Internationally, tools like Finding Rover in the U.S. and integrated shelter databases in the U.K. offer similar services, but Russia has lacked a centralized state-run solution.

If adopted, this initiative would mark a significant step in digitizing social services in the country.