RescueLink: AI Stray Animal Reporting Network

Inspiration

We were inspired by the daily struggles faced by injured or distressed stray animals and the difficulty citizens experience when trying to report them. Seeing how delayed information often leads to slow rescues, avoidable suffering, and safety risks, we wanted to create a simple, tech-enabled way for communities to respond quickly and responsibly.

What it does

RescueLink enables citizens to instantly report injured, aggressive, or stranded stray animals using photos, location data, and basic details. The system automatically alerts the nearest NGOs, municipal teams, and volunteers through SMS, WhatsApp, and API integrations. It also provides real-time guidance to the reporter, tracks the rescue status, and creates a coordinated response network for faster action.

How we built it

We built RescueLink using an AI-powered image classification model, a geolocation-based reporting module, and a cloud backend to manage alerts and rescue assignments. A lightweight mobile-friendly interface allows users to submit reports quickly, while automated workflows send notifications to connected responders. Integrations with WhatsApp, SMS gateways, and APIs ensure broad accessibility.

Challenges we ran into

We struggled with integrating multiple communication channels reliably, especially ensuring WhatsApp and SMS alerts were delivered instantly. Training the AI model with diverse animal images was another challenge due to inconsistent data quality. Coordinating multiple stakeholders—NGOs, municipal bodies, and volunteers—also required designing a clear and efficient workflow.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of creating a system that reduces reporting time, connects multiple rescue agencies effortlessly, and offers practical guidance to citizens during emergencies. Successfully integrating AI detection with real-time notifications and a smooth user interface was a major milestone.

What we learned

We learned how crucial accurate field data and fast communication are in animal rescue scenarios. We also gained experience in workflow automation, user-centered design, and working closely with NGOs to understand on-ground rescue procedures and constraints.

What's next for RescueLink: AI Stray Animal Reporting Network

We plan to implement live rescue tracking, volunteer validation, and predictive hotspot mapping for accident-prone areas. We also aim to partner with more cities, add multilingual support, expand AI capabilities, and develop a dedicated mobile app to make RescueLink a nationwide rescue ecosystem.

Built With

• aws-s3-(image-storage)-databases:-firestore
• docker
• hosting)
• languages:-javascript
• node.js/express-(backend)
• postgresql-apis:-google-maps-api-(location)
• python-frameworks:-react.js-(frontend)
• tensorflow-(ai)-platforms:-web-app-(pwa)
• twilio-sms-api-other-tools:-github
• whatsapp-api-(alerts)
• whatsapp-cloud-platform-cloud-services:-firebase-(auth