Launching 4 October – World Animal Day

Your whole neighbourhood searches with you

Lost your dog or found a stray cat? Reporting on Helpaw takes a minute – a photo and a pin on the map – and Helpaw users nearby get an alert. Together, it's easier to bring a pet home.

The app is free. Launching 4 October 2026 – on World Animal Day – for iPhone.

The Helpaw mascot – a small, white, shaggy dog with a purple patch over one eye, raising a paw to wave hello

Everything you need when every hour counts

Helpaw connects people who want to help pets get back home – owners, finders, neighbours and shelters.

Report in seconds

A photo, a spot on the map, done. At a stressful moment you don't waste time on long forms.

Live map

Lost and found pets in your area – all on one up-to-date map.

Local alerts

When a new report appears nearby, you get an alert on your phone straight away.

Sightings and route

Spotted a pet from a report? Mark the spot – sightings add up to a route.

Safe chat

Finders and owners talk directly in the app – quickly, easily and safely.

Badges and leaderboard

We celebrate helpers – earn badges for sightings and happy reunions.

How does it work?

From report to reunion – in four steps.

  1. Illustration: a dog looking at a phone with the Helpaw report form open

    Report in 60 seconds

    Add a photo and drop a pin where the pet was last seen.

  2. Illustration: an alert spreads in waves across the area while neighbours check their phones

    The neighbourhood knows

    People within a few kilometres get an alert and keep their eyes open.

  3. Illustration: a dog following tracks while sightings on the map form a route

    Sightings form a route

    Every pin from a neighbour brings you closer to where the pet is now.

  4. Illustration: a dog waving its paw below a chat window connecting the finder and the owner

    A happy reunion

    The finder and the owner arrange a meeting in the chat – and the pet goes home.

Together we bring pets home

On Helpaw, nobody searches alone. Every sighting and every share brings someone's pet closer to home – and we celebrate the most helpful with badges and a place on the neighbourhood heroes leaderboard.

  • Badge for the first reunion
  • Badge for the first sighting
  • Tracker badge
  • Helper of the month badge
Get Helpaw
The Helpaw mascot running happily, ears flapping

Frequently asked questions

How much does Helpaw cost?

Nothing – Helpaw is completely free and shows no ads.

When will the app be available?

Launch is planned for 4 October 2026 – not by chance: it's World Animal Day. At launch, Helpaw will be available for iPhone on the App Store.

Where does Helpaw work?

We're launching in Poland – that's where you'll find reports and alerts. The app works in Polish and English.

Can I browse reports without an account?

Yes – the map and reports work in guest mode. You only need an account when you want to post something: a report, a sighting, a comment or a chat message.

How old do I need to be to use Helpaw?

Helpaw is intended for people aged 16 and over.

What about my data?

We process data in line with the GDPR – see our Privacy Policy for details. Adding a phone number to a report is always optional.