Creating a virtual fence takes about a minute: pick the spot on the map, set how big the circle should be, give it a name and an icon, and save. Here's the whole flow.
Before you start
Your pet needs a paired GPS tracker, and your tracker needs to be reachable — either on the mobile network or in Bluetooth range of your phone. If it isn't, the Virtual fence row is dimmed and tapping it shows: "Tracker is unreachable — get in Bluetooth range or wait for mobile network."
Step-by-step
- Open your pet's profile → GPS tracker settings → Virtual fence.
- Choose the Safe Zone or No-Go Zone tab.
- Tap Add new zone.
- On the map that opens, use the Search address field to find the address, or drag the pin to the exact spot.
- Tap Confirm address. A preview circle shows roughly where the zone will sit.
- On the next map, fine-tune the centre and set the size with the radius slider — anywhere from 100 m to 10 km.
- In the drawer at the bottom, fill in the Name, Address and Icon.
- Tap Save.
What goes in the drawer
| Field | Required | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Up to 50 characters |
| Address | Yes | Filled in automatically from the pin, and you can edit it |
| Icon | Yes | Safe zones offer 14 icons (Home, Pin, Heart, Beach, Park, Sun, Work and more); no-go zones offer 5 (Road, Traffic Light, Dumpster, Cars, Not Valid) |
Please note: the Save button stays greyed out until the name, address and icon are all filled in.
What happens next
You'll see the toast "Your safe zone has been created successfully 📍 Syncing changes to your tracker now." The zone then has to reach the collar — Ask A Vet sends it over the mobile network, and the app also pushes it straight over Bluetooth if your phone is in range of the collar. Until the tracker confirms it, the row shows a Syncing… badge.
New fences are created switched on, so there's no activation step.
Tip: if your pet is already standing inside the area when you create the zone, it shows up as Here now straight away instead of waiting for the next location update.
Messages you might see
- "Error — Please enter a fence name" or "Error — Address is required" — fill in the missing field.
- "Tracker required — Please make sure a tracker is paired before creating a safe zone."
- "Please wait — Checking tracker status…" — give it a moment and tap Save again.
- "Limit reached — You can have up to 5 fences in total. Delete one to add another." — safe and no-go zones share the same 5 slots.
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