Russia Proposes AI-Powered Photo Bank to Reunite Lost Pets With Owners

Lawmakers in Russia want to use facial recognition-style AI to match lost pets with their families, with a proposal to launch a national photo database through the country’s digital government portal.

In an effort to modernize how missing pets are reunited with their owners, Russian lawmakers have proposed creating a national photo bank of lost animals. The idea is to integrate the system into Gosuslugi, the country’s centralized digital services portal.

Under the proposal, citizens, animal shelters, and veterinary clinics would upload photos of found pets. These images would be analyzed by artificial intelligence software capable of matching them against a database of reported missing animals. The AI system promises up to 98 percent accuracy in identifying cats and dogs, and would automatically notify owners in the case of a match.

The initiative has been sent to Maksut Shadayev, Russia’s Minister of Digital Development, for review. If approved, the project could become part of an upcoming expansion of the Gosuslugi platform’s functionality.

In parallel, lawmakers are also discussing the launch of a unified national registry for domestic pets. The proposed federal information system would include data about animals and their owners. The draft legislation includes penalties for failing to register pets, with fines potentially reaching up to 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,300).

The initiative involves input from multiple federal ministries, including those overseeing natural resources, economic development, finance, agriculture, and digital affairs—signaling a coordinated national approach to pet identification and animal welfare.