PetHub.com, the world’s fastest way to get lost pets home, and Cobb County home of more than an estimated 300,000 dogs and cats have teamed up to offer four-legged family members a new 21st century ID tag that promises to increase the chances of a lost animal’s return while reducing the number of animals in shelters.

96% of animals returned by PetHub are home in less than a day, before they enter a shelter. Such results will support Cobb County in its goal of getting pets back to their families quicker and help reduce the number of pets in the shelter.

“Over $2 billion is spent annually by shelters in the U.S. to provide food, critical care, and a safe bed to lost animals,” said Tom Arnold, Founder of PetHub.com. “Our goal is to get a lost dog or cat home before it can become injured through fights with other animals, taken in by strangers thinking the dog is homeless, or enter a shelter.”

PetHub’s system links a physical ID tag to an animal’s online profile that can be accessed through an encrypted connection by anyone with a mobile device, whether a smartphone or standard cellular phone. That profile can be updated free-of-charge at PetHub.com to allow the owner to list emergency contact information, including that of anyone who helps care for the animal, such as spouses, pet sitters, veterinarians, and other family and friends. Optional upgrades include “found pet” alerts, GPS notifications, and a way to broadcast a missing pet’s profile to local shelters and businesses (think “Amber alert,” but for pets).