Whistle, a subsidiary of Mars that produces pet trackers, has announced that it is being acquired by Tractive. As part of the acquisition, Whistle trackers will stop working, but Tractive is offering to replace them with new ones for a limited time.
The official cutoff date for Whistle pet trackers is August 31, 2025. Users will be able to request a replacement tracker until September 30, 2025 by providing their tracker serial number and selecting a new Tractive tracker. Tractive will also credit pre-paid Whistle subscriptions to new Tractive accounts and provide anyone with a Whistle tracker without an active subscription with two months of Tractive free of charge.
Whistle devices, such as the Whistle Go Explore or Whistle Fit, focus on using GPS, Wi-Fi, and the AT&T network to track the location of your dogs and cats. Tractive takes it a step further by offering similar tracking features along with wearable-style health monitoring. If you pay for the company’s subscription-the basic plan gives you all the essential features for $108 a year-you’ll be able to see heart rate, respiration rate, and track if your dog is barking more than usual.
If you’re willing to pay even more, Tractive offers a premium plan for $120 per year that unlocks features like “worldwide coverage” for its trackers and the ability to export GPS data collected by your tracker. It’s unpleasant to have to request a new tracker and transfer accounts, but from an acquisition perspective, it seems like the best scenario.
