News & Insights

Great news! We are thrilled to know that pets are finally getting a proper identification that recognises their identity (i.e. name, age, sex, special abilities, etc) and social status (in this case a resident in the prefecture) in Japan. 😻 🇯🇵

But did you know a real digital ID is more than just filling in a form on a company’s website and printing it out? Imagine if animal lovers from all over the world could get a legitimate digital ID for their pets? This first-of-its-kind universal digital ID not only proves the unique identity of their animals, but also links to various credentials of the pets, e.g. veterinary history, microchip record, pet license number, etc.

Most importantly, digital identity technology ensures that all the personal data are private and controlled by the pet guardians instead of owned by commercial companies. They are issued and stored in a secure digital wallet (or an app) on their smartphone, which the guardians can access anytime anywhere. Pretty cool, huh? 😎

Any one want a digital ID for their pets? 🙋🏻‍♀️

Did you know that more and more countries, including Sweden, Argentina, Estonia, Canada, Australia, India, etc., are developing or adopting the digital identity system to ensure a more efficient and safer place for transactions between parties online?

According to this article, one of the leading countries in digital identification is Estonia, where 98% of its citizens have e-ID cards. The country has facilitated digital identity authentication, data storage and sharing, and digital signatures through its chip-based cards or digital keys, which are now embedded in Estonian’s everyday lives.

We believe digital identity systems will not only benefits humans, but all animals with human or organizational guardians as well. This will also create great business opportunities for the pet care industry, which enhances the overall well-being of the animals and their guardians.

In yet another of many clear, rational and intelligently presented statements from Joaquin Phoenix, he used his acceptance speech platform at the 2020 Oscars Awards ceremony to call attention to reducing animal suffering. An important quote from his acceptance speech is as follows:

But human beings, at our best, are so inventive and creative and ingenious, and I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment.

Joaquin Phoenix 2020 Best Actor Oscar Award acceptance speech

Human individuals and societies inherently allocate higher status and worth to beings with legitimate names and identity credentials, vs. beings with no formal identity. For the first time in human history, animals can now have identity credentials, at no cost, that exist on the same “human-grade” identity credential technology platform used for people, banks, governments, etc. DignifID digital identity enables any animal with a human or organizational guardian to have legitimate, cryptographically verifiable identity credentials. We will help to reduce animal suffering globally, as more and more animals are recognized with legitimate identity credentials. Visit the DignifID web site to learn more!

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While some people feel that cats are not able to even learn their names, scientist in Japan have proven this to be wrong. In fact, cats do recognize their names when their guardian calls them by name – they just may not choose to significantly react. We at DignifID fully understand and certainly agree with the findings presented in the news article below, and this is yet another reason why companion cats should enjoy the benefits of legitimate digital identity. If cats and their human guardians understand the cat’s name, it is time for those furry family members to have their name (and other important items of their personal information) be easily verifiable by the rest of society. DignifID provides legitimate, verifiable identity services for all animals, and that identity data is owned and controlled by the animal’s guardian.

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Ms. Goodall is widely respected as a leader in rationally and successfully promoting animal welfare. She has been unwavering in her dedicated to respecting and promoting animals as important individuals with innate worth, and demonstrating the validity of that position with credible scientific and sociological arguments. In the article below, she expresses views that we at DignifID particularly respect, as they are core concepts in our mission to bring legitimate identity services to animals. Some key quotes from this article are:

Many professors told her it was wrong to give chimps a name, to talk about them having a personality or an ability to solve problems. These attributes, they exclaimed, were unique to humans. … “Unfortunately for those professors, I had this amazing teacher when I was a child,” says Goodall, “who taught me they were wrong — my dog, Rusty. We are not the only beings on the planet capable of thinking and resolving things outside of our bubble. Emotions, such as happiness, sadness, fear, and despair are all part of the animal kingdom, too.”

Jane Goodall, as quoted in the article “Jane Goodall at 85: What Animals Can Teach us About Leadership,” by Grant Schreiber

Identity service for animals, which utilizes “human-grade” digital identity technology, helps animals with human or organizational guardians to be recognized in society as the innately valuable, sentient individuals. Digital identity is not a cute, fun accessory for spoiled pets. Those spoiled pets (i.e. highly loved animals!), and other animals, require legitimate identity to enable true inclusion in our digital human society. With legitimate identity, animals are no longer just things. They will more easily be viewed and respected as our family members, and sentient partners of worth in our shared world.

Thank you, Jane, for being a visionary dedicated to elevating the well-being of non-human animals, and humans.

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DignifID recognizes the great importance that pets have in the lives of many seniors. Our Pet Custodian Program provides peace of mind for seniors who want to ensure lifetime care for a beloved pet, if a time comes when the senior can no longer provide care. Look for the opportunity to sign-up for the Pet Custodian Program later this year!

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How do we know who is the rightful guardian (owner) of a pet? Maybe your pet has a ID chip implanted, and there is a record of a person (the owner?) paying for that. Maybe there is a history of adoption and vaccination records (if they haven’t been lost). But, even with such records, it may still be possible for an unscrupulous person to try to assume ownership of a pet that belongs to another family. Such a situation is described in the news article link below. Although cases like this can be complicated due to histories of care quality, etc., we have been lacking a robust system for identifying who is the rightful guardian of an animal. Those days are now behind us. With the emergence of legitimate, cryptographically verifiable digital identity, a long-term record of a pet’s digital credentials (name, photos, medical records, ID chip number, etc.) can be unequivocally linked with the rightful guardian. This provable linkage of ID credentials between a pet and its human guardian, will be of tremendous help for families that find themselves in a situation where Fluffy is catnapped – even if the catnapper is well-meaning. DignifID digital identity will provide verifiable digital bonds between pets and their legitimate guardians.

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A brewery in Florida has a wonderful, innovative approach to helping homeless dogs find new guardians (i.e. owners). Motorworks Brewing puts photos of shelter dogs on their beers cans, as a means of providing public exposure to help find forever homes for them. Only one thing is missing in this effort – verifiable credentials that securely link core identity information (i.e. age, physical characteristics, etc.) and information such as vaccination and health records with each individual animal. The person or family that adopts one of these dogs is then not just, ‘adopting a dog.’ They will adopt an pet that has a legitimate digital identity which establishes its place as an individual in our human society. Also, all of those important identity credentials will easily transfer to the ID Lynx app on the new guardian’s smart phone, so that the dog’s identity details are always available and can never be lost or misplaced. DignifID and ID Lynx will be rolling out these services during 2020!

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Growing numbers of animals, especially dogs, perform important and highly valuable services for us. This NPR article about super sniffer dogs highlights some of the amazing work dedicated dogs perform to identify cancer and other health issues. This work, along with police work, guide dogs for blind people, etc. position these amazing animals in roles that have tremendous responsibility. Humans sometimes depend on a dog’s capability and dedication to save their lives! If humans were doing these jobs, they would be recognized and honored with special titles such as Dr. Zhang, Officer Murphy, etc. But, when an animal saves a life, what we often hear is, ‘isn’t that an amazing dog!’ The dog as an individual is overlooked, and viewed as just a thing. It is time for amazing animals like these to have legitimate identity, with proper names and ID credentials that mark their place and status in human society. DignifID identity management for animals not only provides for them the recognition they deserve as individuals, but potentially enables them to receive salaries or other benefits for themselves. While such benefits would be managed by their human or organizational guardians, those benefits would be inextricably connected to the individual animal. DignifID is excited to provide verifiable identity for working animals which contributes to their well-being, and the well-being of humans.

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In China, as in many other countries, pets are true family members. It is estimated that there are 100 million pet dogs and cats in China, and about US$30 billion per year is spent on their care. In fact, as this article explains, some families go to great lengths to include and formally recognize their pets as legitimate members of their family – such as commissioning beautiful portraits that include the entire family (humans AND animal companions). It is a natural step for these pets to also have legitimate digital identity credentials which weave those pets into our digital society and create opportunities to access more convenient services and improve well-being. DignifID is excited to provide secure digital ID services to all pets and animal guardians in China, and globally.

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