We need to build a GLOBAL solution for poor stray cats and dogs.

Hi everyone,
Reading the post about vet clinics, my partner and I are great lover of cats and dogs. We have 6 cats and 2 dogs.

A few months ago, we were having a conversation whereby i mentioned I'd love to build something to house cats... maybe a hundred or so. This would be some time in the future. However, as a software engineer, inevitably i started to look at the problem of stray cats/dogs.. and the finding of homes for them, from a different angle. Normally, as a businessman, i never share any ideas (that's the way it is for business people!) however, because this idea is not for my own financial gain, but for the good of the cats, whom I absolutely love and adore, I'll write my thoughts out below.

FACTS:

a) There are many stray cats and dogs all over the world, in MANY semi/underdeveloped countries.

b) There are many people, especially expats, who would love to volunteer, maybe giving food, maybe have a vehicle and not mind transporting a stray to a local agency, maybe giving time to the rescue centre... even a person who has a spare cage! In other words, there are many people who would give their service in many different ways that would suit them best.

c) There are countries, like Mauritius, where the government and large companies can contribute. To get companies to contribute is to make it worth their while.

These are the main facts. Now, I believe the trick is to look at these facts, plus all the technology available (internet, facebook, google maps,mobile phones,iphones,android), and come up with a solution which makes it practical to satisfy the facts above.

My proposal is as follow:

a) The building of an internet-based database software which would register everyone interested in helping animals. They would also state how they could help and what their available times are.

b) Just like software have 'open source solutions', I wanted to start an 'open source software' relating to animals, rescue efforts. This meant all programmers, all over the world who adore animals, would contribute to help build this software and make it more efficient, as time goes by.

c) This would be a GLOBAL solution. The software is FREE for every country and organisation in an effort to help dogs and cats the world over. Nobody will own the software but, i believe, there must be a huge number of genius programmers out there, all over the world, who would actively 'add components' to this software, to probably be one of the best solutions in the world. Programmers are crazy people as it is and.. when you find one who is also an animal lover, you can expect the world from them!

d) The solution would include webcams in cages and centres, where people can see the cats and dogs.. name them, donate via paypal to them, creating a facebook app, iphone app, where people can just 'connect' and see these pets often. Thus we are creating interactivity.. in turn spurring interest.

e) Tourist companies and hotels, if they make a donation each year, will receive a 'certification of cooperation'. We will make this a standard body. This will come with a badge which hotels can display on their website, brochures etc showing all potential tourists that, they too, care for animals. Those who don't contribute have their hotel listed in the 'hall of shame' on the website.

f) the software would have an 'online appointment system'. This would be a very intelligent system with very complex algorithms. Basically this software would look at everyones available times, all the resources available, then send text messages to everyone, in real time, trying to 'connect' the whole effort together. Yes.. this doesn't make much sense so i'll explain this in an example...

Mr A finds out he's free for the weekend. He's not going out and has a 4x4. He lives in Grand Bay. He logs on the system (at home) and lets the system know he's free and that the 4x4 is free.

Miss B, Mr C and Mr D are also available around this area too... same like Mr A with same kind of services.

Mr X finds a stray cat. He cannot afford to take the cat to the centre. He rings a free number. The operator (also a volunteer living at home by the way), inputs a code into the system (cat-stray-pickup-grandbay.. this is just a crude example). The system will immediately text Mr A and give Mr A 2 minutes to reply to the text. If a reply is not received, a text goes to Miss B.

The above is only but a TINY part of the whole software solution i have in mind. What i have in mind is something much much bigger, with many more functions. It covers logistics, volunteer and resources, marketing, communications... etc. Its a whole and total solution.. even finding and purchasing Vet equipment off ebay and sending to poorer countries... liasing medicine companies with vets. The sky is the limit when programmers, all over the world, are contributing freely to building this software... for free.

This MUST be open-source as all cats and dogs are in peril. I personally cannot contribute anything... however I do plan to design the database table structure(from a business systems analysis angle) as this is my speciality. I can make this multilingual and multicurrency. This is also the first time I'm putting these thoughts out in public.

To start, i have web space and i can supply an online database server. If there is anyone out there (programmers and internet people) willing to discuss putting up a website, proposing awareness campaigns.. i'll leave that to everyone's speciality. We also need someone, with some time on their hands, to help promote this idea all over the internet. This would be everyones contribution to saving cats and dogs the world over.