A GPS tracking system can locate cell phones, vehicles, computers, and any number of valuable items. This allows the owner of an expensive device to activate the tracking system to locate it if it is ever stolen or lost. Similar tracking systems can be placed in exceedingly small chips that can be inserted under the skin of pets, so that they can be found if they are lost or run away from home.
If the owner of the pet does not want to subject the animal to a procedure that involves inserting a chip, they can simply have the pet wear a collar or tag with the GPS installed. This process is called geolocation, that is using GPS to locate a lost pet or device.
The Global Positioning System was devised in 1973 by Ivan Getting and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). It is composed of eighteen satellites arranged in groups of six in three orbital planes stationed 120 degrees apart. The final component is the ground stations for the satellites. This whole group forms the $12 billion investment now known as GPS.