Dogs Might Be Able to Predict Earthquakes / PetPace "ANIMAL ALERTS"

The problem

Peru is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In 2023, 66,900 people were affected, with many feeling the shaking in Lima. Earthquakes themselves still can't be predicted, but multiple studies have confirmed that animals change their behavior before the ground starts shaking.

The insight

In a 2020 study by the Max Planck Institute, dogs, cows, and sheep near an epicenter in Italy showed unusual behavior starting 20 hours before an earthquake. The problem was that there had never been a way to capture these reactions as real-time data. The idea was to take pet monitoring technology and repurpose it to watch over an entire city.

The idea

PetPace's smart collar uses non-invasive sensors, without electrodes, to measure a dog's pulse, temperature, and breathing, and an AI judges the dog's stress level. When multiple dogs across different parts of Lima show the same stress response at the same time, that's treated as a sign an earthquake may be coming. The system turns the moment when dogs' reactions line up into the signal itself.

What happened

Working with Mediaplus Group and Reset Media, the team delivered warnings by area through digital signage, the web, mobile, and radio. The system launched in Lima in March 2024, and detected 18 earthquakes in its first month. It won several awards at Cannes Lions, including a Gold in the Media category, and was named Creative Data Campaign of the Year by Ad Age. Expansion to other earthquake-prone countries is also planned.

Afterthought

A technology made to protect pets became, just as it was, a technology that protects a whole city. I'm impressed by this kind of repurposing. Facing something as unpredictable as an earthquake, alongside the creatures closest to us — I never would have thought of putting these two things together like this.

Awards

• Cannes Lions Gold 2024

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