Stop Using AirTags on Your Pet. Here's What Experts Recommend Instead

With technology evolving every day, pet parents are searching for new and better ways to keep their pets safe, including finding ways to have 24/7 access to their pets' locations. Some pet owners have considered using an AirTag on their pet's collar, but is that safe? We spoke with two pet experts who warn against using AirTags for this purpose and offer up some alternative options instead. Here's everything to know. What is an AirTag? Apple AirTags were created to help keep track of personal items by using a "secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network," according to Apple . The small devices, costing $29 per tag , are often used on suitcases, purses, backpacks and keychains. Apple's website doesn't mention using AirTags on pets, for good reason. Read more: Best Apple AirTag Accessories of 2025 Why you shouldn't use an AirTag to track your pet Although AirTags may seem like a convenient and relatively cheap way to keep track of your furry friends, experts advise against it. If AirTags are attached to a pet's collar, there's a chance it could lead to a medical emergency, said Dr. Shannon Vawter , medical director and veterinarian at Thrive Pet Healthcare Wedgewood in Nashville, Tennessee. "There's a battery in there, and if the dog or cat ingests this -- which there's several articles and reports in our veterinary magazines where people have cited that this has happened -- then we have to do a surgery called a gastronomy or an enterotomy and go fish that tag out," Vawter said, adding that the battery is dangerous because if it starts "to corrode or open up with that acid inside, it'll burn a hole right through their GI tract." Vawter said the emergency surgery to remove the AirTag could range in price between $2,000 and $5,000, adding that dogs are more likely to chew or eat an AirTag, but that cats could also be at risk of doing so. Tracking limitations are another reason experts caution against them. "An AirTag has very limited tracking capabilities and accuracy in rural areas, the exact place that you're likely to need it the most," said Maleki Burke, founder of Snootiful Hound , a company that created escape-proof harnesses for sighthounds. Because AirTags depend on nearby Apple devices, Burke said that if your pet is lost in a rural area, the location may not be accurate or available. "This is especially problematic if you're trying to track a dog that has wandered far away from populated areas," he said. Expert advice: Better ways to track your pet Both Vawter and Burke recommend that the first line of action to keep your pet safe is to get them microchipped. A microchip is a small, permanent chip that's equivalent to the size of a grain of rice and is embedded into the pet. According to Pawlicy Advisor , a pet insurance marketplace, microchips for dogs cost between $25 to $60. If you...

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