The high-profile theft of a dogwalker van with six pets in has been resolved this weekend with the help of the Ford Pass app.
Happily, all the pets have now been reunited with their owners in West London, after the Ford Pass app revealed which locations the Transit Custom van had been taken to.
Because Transit owner Brett Holte-Smith, who counts technology journalist Rory Cellan-Jones among his customers, had linked the app to his vehicle when new last year, its whereabouts could be interrogated.
Once Ford became aware of the major social media campaign for the pets’ return, it activated a Ford Pass search, which revealed the Transit’s first location as Park Royal following its theft in Ealing on the morning of 12 November.
Although the vehicle had gone by the time the search team reached the location, five of the six dogs were later found roaming Park Royal and captured.
The app also revealed the thieves’ next move in the Transit to another part of Park Royal where police seized the van the same evening. The sixth dog was later found also and police inquiries continue to identify the perpetrators.
Mark Harvey, Ford enterprise connectivity director, said: “Connectivity is the cornerstone of our mission to deliver smart vehicles. What brings that plan to life, and makes it all the more rewarding, is real-life stories such as this, with Ford’s technologically advanced vehicles bringing about a better outcome for customers in need.”
Ford has offered to provide the Transit Custom owner with an alternative vehicle pending his Transit being back up and running.
The brand’s involvement in the case, which led to the pets being recovered, has been credited in a blog by Rory Cellan-Jones, a former BBC technology correspondent and one of the six dog owners impacted by the crime.
Ford made the majority of its commercial vehicles connected with in-built modems as standard last year, enabling their location to be pinpointed remotely, following the same free upgrade for its cars in 2018.
The manufacturer also added a new connected security system earlier this year, dubbed SecuriAlert and providing notifications to the vehicle owner’s phone if it identifies vehicle activity such as attempts to open doors or gain access with a key.
