How do sighting reports work?

Sighting Reports

When someone spots a potentially missing item or pet that has an active community alert, they can submit a sighting report. This notifies the owner and adds the sighting to the alert timeline.

Submitting a Sighting

When you see something that matches an active alert, tap "Report Sighting" on the alert page. You will be guided through:

1. Confidence level: How sure are you this is the right item/pet? ("Certain", "Fairly sure", "Possible match")
2. Conditions: Select chips describing the state — for example, "Appears healthy", "Looks injured", "Dirty/damaged"
3. Movement direction: If the animal or item was moving, indicate the general direction ("Heading north", "Stationary", etc.)
4. Location: Pin the exact spot on the map
5. Photo (optional): Upload a photo to help the owner verify

Private Photos

Sighting photos are private by default. Only the alert owner can see uploaded photos — they are never shown publicly in the community feed. This protects the reporter and the owner's privacy.

Contact Preferences

When submitting a sighting, you can choose how (or if) the owner can contact you:

• Via itemID messaging: The owner can send you a message through the platform
• Email: Provide an email address for direct follow-up
• Anonymous: Submit without any contact details

Viewing Sightings

As an alert owner, you can view all sighting reports in the alert detail page. Each sighting shows:

• A confidence indicator
• Conditions and movement chips
• Location on the map
• Photo (if provided)
• Timestamp and reporter badge

Tips for Good Sighting Reports

• Be honest about your confidence level — "Possible match" is perfectly fine
• Select all relevant condition chips to give the owner a clear picture
• If the animal was moving, indicate where it was heading
• A photo dramatically increases the usefulness of your report